The More Things Change The More They Stay The Same
by Anarchist278
Summary: Haley has moved on with her life. Nathan wants revenge. What will happen? Read and find out.
1. Surprises In The Principal's Office

**A.N Ok well here it is the first chapter of my new story. For those of you who have read my stories before. You will find that this one takes a little while to start with the M rated moments but the story has been rated that way for a reason so stick with it. By now you should all have a pretty good idea of the weird and wonderful things my mind comes up with but I will tell you to be prepared for some shocks this is no fairytale. Hope you all enjoy it and leave me lots of reviews.**

**Disclaimer I have no ownership of of One Tree Hill or any of the characters that I have borrowed from the show. I promise to put them all back safely when I'm finished playing with them. The only characters I own are the ones that none of you have ever heard of because I made them up.**

**Chapter One**

When Haley woke up that warm September morning she couldn't stifle the groan that escaped her lips. She could hardly believe that this day was here already, the day that she had been dreading for so long. _Why did I ever let him talk me into this?_ Rolling over she glanced at the clock and her half closed eyes suddenly snapped open as she saw the time. _Of all the days to sleep in why did it have to be today? _Jumping out of bed quickly she headed to the bathroom grabbing her clothes that she had thankfully laid out the night before from the chair beside her bed. She dressed hurriedly and with no time for breakfast grabbed her keys and headed out the door filled with trepidation for the day that lay ahead. _I don't know how I'm going to get through this._

She straightened her skirt and tried to clamp down an all the nervous energy that was flowing through her body. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this nervous and unsure. She looked up at the brick building in front of her and tried to pin down what exactly it was that was making her so anxious. It wasn't like she was entering somewhere she had never been before. Lets face it in years past she had spent a lot of time within those very walls but it was different now. So many things had changed since she had last set foot in that building and now here she stood ready to open the door on all the memories that she had long ago buried. Or at least tried to bury.

Gathering her resolve she purposefully strode towards the door dodging around the various people who loitered outside the entrance. Looking down the disturbingly familiar hallway of Tree Hill High she was unprepared for the sudden wave of nostalgia that flooded her mind. She caught sight of her old locker and half expected to see Lucas and Brooke standing there waiting for her. She shook her head as the other person who had once waited for her at her locker popped into her mind. _No I am not going to think about him._ She inhaled deeply and for a moment froze as she saw a familiar dark head striding down the hallway away from her. Mentally she shook herself; _Of course it's not him. Its just all the memories making me think that I see him._ She told herself firmly.

Up until about a month ago she would never have dreamed that she would end up back here. She would have laughed in someone's face if they tried to tell her that she would ever set foot in the town again let alone end up back at the school. But that's why life is so unpredictable at times, because quite simply you can never be certain of anything. Realising that she was daydreaming she snapped back into focus and headed determinedly towards the principals office.

Stopping outside the door of Mr Logan's office she took a moment to prepare herself and then knocked confidently on the door.

A rather austere voice responded to her knock with a brusque "Come in."

Entering the office her eyes immediately found the slightly balding, rather rotund principal sitting behind the desk. Wanting to make a good impression she didn't at first notice the other occupant of the office. As she opened her mouth to speak she suddenly became aware of the sensation that they were not alone and turning her head slightly she once again was confronted with the back of a dark head. Her mouth went dry as she once again tried to convince herself that she was just imagining things.

Seemingly unaware of her distraction Mr Logan continued to speak.

"Ah Miss James good of you to join us. I was starting to wonder if you were going to show up." He stated with more than a hint of sarcasm but Haley was barely aware of his words because as soon as he had said her name that dark head had whirled around to face her and she was confronted with none other than Nathan Scott.

For a moment his face showed all the shock that she knew must be apparent on her own face but then it was gone replaced by that trade mark smirk and his self assured voice.

"Haley. Long time no see. You're looking good." And his eyes swept over her appraisingly reacquainting himself with the familiar curves of her body.

As he did so he couldn't help but be aware that in the five years since he had last seen her there had been changes to her body. Her body was no longer that of a gawky adolescent but instead had developed into a more womanly shape. He felt a slight tightening of his groin as his eyes lingered a little longer than was strictly necessary on the shape of her breasts under the fabric of her camisole.

Looking at the obvious lust burning in his eyes Haley had to resist the urge to check that she was still clothed. The way Nathan was looking at her it was as if he could see every inch of her skin and she felt naked to his gaze. Finally unable to bear his scrutiny any longer she glanced down at herself confirming what she had already known. There was nothing about the way that she was dressed that should capture his attention like this.

She squirmed under his gaze forcing herself to turn her attention back to where Mr Logan was sitting apparently absorbed in a file. Looking up at last he commented.

"So you two know each other. I suppose that's to be expected you would have both been students here at around the same time."

"Yes" Haley agreed her voice sounding breathless to her own ears. "We went to school together."

Nathan continued to watch her for a moment longer seemingly enjoying her obvious discomfort before he stood up and addressed his employer.

"I better get going Frank. First period's about to start and I have a class. I'll talk to you later."

He moved towards the door deliberately brushing up against Haley as he did so.

"I'll see you soon Hales," he breathed in her ear and without a further word he was gone and Haley was left feeling as if her legs were about to give out from under her.

A million questions were floating around in her head and she didn't have an answer for any of them. _What is he doing here? Did he just say something about a class? Could he too be a teacher? _She almost laughed out loud at the last question. It was completely absurd to think that Nathan Scott could be a teacher. Or was it?

"Right Miss James lets go over your class schedule. I have you pencilled in for your first class second period so we have a lot to get through before that happens."

Haley settled herself more comfortably into the chair that Nathan had vacated and tried her best to take in what was being said to her but her mind was filled with thoughts of Nathan Scott.

Somehow she managed to get through her first day as an English teacher at Tree Hill High although later on she could barely remember a thing about her classes. She was however extremely glad to get home that night to her newly built home and had almost immediately poured a glass of wine and headed to the hot tub. She was in need of some serious stress release and could think of no better way to unwind. Wearing only a brief black bikini she took the cordless phone outside with her not wanting to miss any calls. The sound of the music she had playing in the kitchen followed her outside and she felt some of her tension start to evaporate as she sunk into the warm water.

She lay there for the next half an hour contemplating the events of the day and trying to put it all into perspective. She had been truly shocked to see Nathan in the office that morning but luckily had not laid eyes on him for the rest of the day. She took this as a good sign. Maybe he was friends with Frank Logan and had simply been paying him a visit before the school day began. There was no reason to think that she would ever run into him again at school. In spite of that shock the rest of the day had passed surprisingly well although it had been strange working side by side with some of her old teachers but they had all been quite welcoming and she had eventually relaxed in their company.

Startled out of her reverie by the sound of the phone ringing she picked it up and greeted the person at the end of the line with a relatively bright "Hello."

"Hey gorgeous. How's my beautiful bride to be."

Her eyes locked onto a point in the backyard,

"Nathan" she choked out.

**A.N This is it my first chapter of my new story. Tell me what you think. As you've probably gathered I still have that rather unfortunate habit of finishing chapters off on a bit of a cliffhanger. Hopefully you guys can forgive me for it. I'm not sure if I'll continue this one or not really depends on whether there's any interest so any feedback anyone wants to give will be very welcome.** **Look forward to hearing from you.**

**Ange x.**


	2. Engaged?

**A.N Ok just to clear up a little of the confusion that the first chapter has probably aroused. I just want to give you guys a little bit of background on Nathan and Haley's past relationship. They were a couple in high school however they did not get married. Haley's departure was rather sudden. Now as for the rest well that will come out as the story progresses. Thanx to everyone who reviewed chapter one and said they would like to see it continued. This chapter is quite a short one but I will try to make the next one longer providing of course that you guys are interested in seeing it continued.**

**A few of my reviewers were a bit confused by the bride to be comment at the end of the last chapter. Unfortunately for you guys that was kind of intentional. That is one of the questions that you will have to wait to have answered as the story progresses. Hopefully you won't hold it against me.**

**Hope you enjoy the second chapter.**

**Ange x.**

**Chapter Two**

Clearing her throat abruptly she tried once again to speak his name.

"Nathan. What do you want?"

"Can't a guy just ring up and see how his fiancée's doing? I mean it's been so long since we've had a chance to chat."

"I really don't think we have anything to talk about. Goodbye Nathan."

Having said that she hung up the phone and tried to relax back in to the tub. Desperately she tried to quell the panic that rose up in her throat after that conversation with him but it was no use because obviously some things never changed and one of them was Nathan's ability to completely get under her skin with just a few well-chosen words.

"Actually I don't agree. I think there's a lot of things that you and I need to discuss after all we are engaged."

Suddenly his voice came again and she stared at the phone in shock wondering if she had somehow managed to hit the loudspeaker button instead of hanging up on him as she intended. But her inspection of the phone showed that it was indeed turned off and she realised that the voice had come from behind her. Whirling around her worst fears were confirmed as she saw Nathan leaning nonchalantly against the gate that led into her back yard.

"Damn Hales if I'd known about the hot tub I would have bought my swimsuit but then again I guess that's not really necessary is it between engaged people such as ourselves."

"Will you stop saying that? We're not engaged." Her temper flaring even though she was sure that that was what he intended and she knew that she was simply playing into his hands.

As she prepared to launch into a tirade of verbal abuse the sight of him removing his shirt halted her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she screamed at him.

He looked at her nonplussed "Isn't it obvious?" he asked his hand drifting down to his belt buckle. "I'm getting ready to join you. I can hardly get in wearing my clothes now can I?"

She couldn't stop her gaze coming to rest on his muscled stomach and chest and she felt a strange fluttering in her stomach as her eyes followed the trail of hair down under the waistband of his jeans. She almost groaned out loud at the sight of him. _What the hell is wrong with me? How can he still be having this effect on me after so many years apart? I'm not that silly little hormonal teenager I was when I last saw him and yet I don't seem to be able to control myself any better now than I did then._

Nathan was watching her watch him and the way her eyes were moving over his body. He smirked to himself. _Oh this is going to be too easy. _He could tell simply by looking at her eyes that she was waging some sort of internal battle to get control of herself and for the moment at least it appeared she was losing. He pulled his belt loose from his jeans and slowly unbuttoned the top button his eyes never leaving her face the whole time. He removed his jeans quickly and stood before her wearing only a pair of boxer shorts. The sight of him sliding his thumbs inside of the waistband of his shorts was enough to break through Haley's hormonal haze and she snapped her eyes up to his face.

"Stop it" she demanded standing up abruptly.

"I don't know what you're doing here Nathan but you need to put your clothes back on and leave now."

Nathan's eyes slid appreciatively over her dripping form and he asked, "are you sure about that Hales? Are you sure you really want me to just leave?"

"You know what Nathan you're right I don't want you **just** to leave. First I want you to…"

Nathan's eyes lit up in anticipation of what he hoped her next words would be, _something along the lines of getting into that hot tub with her with any luck._

"First" she repeated more forcefully "I want you to tell me how the fuck you found out where I live and got hold of my phone number?"

Nathan stared at her dumbfounded for a moment. This was really not how he had hoped this conversation would end. He looked at her more closely trying to gauge whether it would be worth attempting to convince her that their time could be spent in a much more entertaining fashion. But he knew that if he pushed her too hard now then he would never be able to bring his plan to fruition.

Sighing in frustration he picked up his jeans, "Frank Logan gave me your address and phone number. He knew we went to school together so saw no reason to doubt it when I told him that I wanted to catch up on old times with you."

Finally feeling her composure reasserting itself she snapped at him, "Well do me a favour and lose it will you. I have no interest in seeing or hearing from you again."

Stepping out of the hot tub she grabbed her towel and wrapped it firmly around herself. "Now if you'll excuse me. I have things to do. Feel free to show yourself out."

Without a backward glance she stormed into the house and collapsed into a chair in the kitchen visibly shaken after her confrontation with Nathan.

Nathan stood for a moment watching her walk away lost in thought. _Damn she looks good. I'm going to have some fun putting my plan into action._ Raising his voice so that she could hear him even from her place in the kitchen he called "We are going to talk about things Haley. I was serious when I told you we have a lot to talk about."

_I am not going to let you get away that easily Haley. I let you go far too easily the last time and theres no way I'm going to allow that to happen again. There's too much history between us. Too much has happened that you have to pay for. _A bitter smile crossed his face as he thought this and if Haley had seen it she would quite rightly have been afraid.

As he went to leave he heard the sound of her phone ringing once again and moved closer hoping to overhear something that he could use against her.

Haley glared at the phone seriously contemplating not answering it but she was determined to prove to herself that she was stronger than that. Nathan Scott did not hold that much power over her. Still it took another couple of rings before she could gather her courage to answer it.

"Hello" she said rather tentatively.

"Hi Honey, how was your first day at the new job?"

The sound of the voice at the other end of the line immediately resulted in tears pouring down her face and loud sobs erupting from her throat.

"I'm so sorry."

**A.N Make sure you review and tell me what you like and don't like. Also feel free to ask any questions. I will try to answer them with each update.**

**Thanx to Jenna, Cap'n Keira Sparrow, Kennedy, Jessica Jackson, Crystal, doodlebah, swtxshelly77, LivingintheOCsucks, jacqueline22393 and cherrymfzb. Glad you enjoyed the first chapter and hopefully you liked this one too.**


	3. Disturbing Memories

**Chapter Three.**

Sprawled on the sofa several hours later Nathan tried in vain to concentrate on the television. Although his eyes were fixed firmly on the screen he was not seeing any of the action on court and had barely heard a word the commentators had said. Instead he kept hearing Haley's tearful voice over and over as she apologised to some unknown person on the phone. Hearing her so upset had definitely made him stop and think. He was actually starting to doubt whether he could go through with his plan. For five long years he had been biding his time waiting for his opportunity and now here it was and he was having doubts. _What the hell is wrong with me? It should not still affect me to hear her upset._ Sitting up abruptly he gave up on any pretence of watching the game and instead let his mind wander back through time. He needed to strengthen his resolve about what he was planning to do and the best way to do that was to allow himself to remember. Remember the events of five years ago and everything that had led up to that one defining moment of his life.

Nathan and Haley were the couple that everyone wished they could be in High School. Their relationship seemed to be the very definition of the term childhood sweethearts and very few people could ever imagine the two of them not being together or worse yet involved with other people. Although the way that they had initially started their relationship was hardly a fairy tale, their relationship borne of the fact that Haley had a crush and Nathan had a reputation to live up to. They had both been barely into their teens when they had first declared themselves to be a couple. Nathan was at that age where all the boys were starting to concentrate less on basketball and more on the opposite sex. Almost all of his friends had girlfriends and therefore that meant that he too should have one. He was after all Nathan Scott and he could not afford to be behind on the growing trend. He had considered offering several girls the coveted role of Nathan Scott's girlfriend but in the end had chosen a girl that he was fairly sure would not say no.

For some time now he hadn't been able to help but notice the way Haley James looked at him when she thought he wasn't looking and the way she would giggle with her friends when he passed her in the hall. She was quite obviously in the throes of her first teenage crush and the timing was perfect for Nathan. So one day Nathan had taken the plunge and pulled her aside after school to ask her to be his girlfriend. She had of course agreed and the rest as they say is history, except when it comes to this particular couple. For this couple had not been your typical teenage couple. Long after the relationships of Nathan's friends had fizzled out theirs had continued to flourish.

There were of course the inevitable ups and downs that go with any relationship especially one that is taking place in a time of skyrocketing hormones and typical teenage rebellion. But somehow they had survived it all and by the time they were juniors in high school everyone including their parents were convinced that they were going to be together forever. With a lot of encouragement from both their families Nathan had proposed to Haley towards the end of their junior year of High School and she had accepted. It seemed their life was all laid out before them and they simply had to go forward with it.

They had decided to wait for marriage until after they had completed college. They made plans to apply to the same colleges and only go if the other one was accepted also or the two schools were close enough to each other that they would not need to live apart. Nathan's life in his mind had been perfect and nothing could compare to the sight of that simple gold band complete with perfect solitaire diamond gracing Haley's left hand and proclaiming to the world that she was his and he was hers. He loved that they were engaged and looked forward eagerly to the day they would take the vows that would bind them together for life. Unfortunately things that are perfect can rarely remain that way and things were set to irrevocably change in the space of a mere twenty-four hours. Twenty-four hours that he had actually been looking forward to until they happened and he found his life changed forever.

_**Flashback **_

_The graduation ceremony at Tree Hill High was in full swing. Parents, grandparents and siblings anxiously watched as someone special to them went up to receive their diploma. _

_Nathan sat with his brother Lucas watching the back of Haley's head where she sat a few rows in front of him. He was a little worried about her. Lately she hadn't been her usual bubbly self and he had been at a loss to figure out what was wrong. He had finally put it down to her being nervous about graduating but although he had tried to speak to her about it prior to the ceremony starting she had brushed aside his concern and assured him that she was fine. Hearing the principal call her name he was immediately on his feet applauding her and watching with pride as she accepted her diploma. Looking at him she had allowed a small smile to grace her lips before leaving the stage and heading back to her seat. The ceremony continued until finally it was his turn. He strode confidently up onto the stage and shook the principals hand before turning to the crowd and raising a triumphant fist in the air. He turned his attention to Haley and felt his heart swell as he saw the obvious love and pride beaming in her eyes. When the ceremony had finished he had rushed to her lifting her off the ground into his arms exuberantly._

_"Its finally over Hales. We're free. Before we know it we'll be at college and then we can get married."_

_"I know," Haley had responded quietly with her arms wrapped around him and her face buried in his neck._

_"Our lives are just beginning."_

_The two had gone to greet their parents hand in hand accepting the congratulations and well wishes from each person before leaving for the party that promised to be better than any they had ever attended before. The party had been the typical drunken, debaucherous affair that one would expect of such an occasion and Nathan had joined in with relish. Haley on the other hand had been quiet and he had caught her a few times staring thoughtfully off into space and had resolved that tomorrow he would get to the bottom of whatever was bothering her. When the party had ended they had left and gone back to Nathan's parents house where Haley had seemed to finally shake off whatever it was that was bothering her and had eagerly made love to him._

_**End Flashback**_

Looking back on it now he could see that there had been a sense of urgency to her love making that had not been there in the past. But at that time he had been too caught up in the moment to question why his girlfriend seemed to never want their night to end. He had no way of knowing that she was saying goodbye to him and their future together wordlessly, expressing it only through actions.

He had woken the next morning to an empty bed and though he had searched high and low for a note and tried to call her what seemed like a million times that was the last he had ever seen or heard of the future Mrs Nathan Scott.

The last he had heard that is, until just a few weeks ago when Frank had mentioned to him that he had received an application from a young woman who had probably been at school with Nathan. It was at that moment when Frank told Nathan the name of his long ago classmate and possible future colleague that Nathan knew his time had come. He was finally going to get the chance to destroy Haley James' life the way that she had destroyed his.

**A.N Well that was chapter three hopefully it helped explain some of the questions that you've all had from the first couple of chapters. I realise it doesn't explain everything but hopefully that will be enough to tide you over until the rest of their story comes out in later chapters. Hope you enjoyed it and let me know what you thought of it.**

**Thanx to LivingintheOCsucks, Cap'n Keira Sparrow and doodlebah for your reviews. **

**TinyDancer7 its good to hear from you again you were such a regular reviewer for Giving In To Desires and I always enjoyed getting your reviews. I hope you continue reading this story and enjoy it. **

**Don't forget to review if you want an update.**


	4. By Invitation Or Command?

**A.N I'm so sorry I haven't updated for so long but my computers been very sick and this is the first time I've had access to the internet in a week so although I've had chapters ready I've been unable to do anything with them. So here is chapter four and I hope it was worth the wait. Chapter Five is ready and waiting so read, review and I'll update again soon.**

**Chapter Four**

It was only day two and Haley was already seriously considering the possibility that she had made a mistake coming here. In her mind it was obvious she shouldn't be here; she had no right to be standing where she was right now. The last five years may as well have been for nothing because now when it came to the crunch they seemed pointless and in some respects she was right back where she had started.

"Will you please just quieten down and open your novels. I'd like someone to start reading aloud please."

But her pleas were for nought as almost the entire class continued to disregard anything she said. Looking around desperately she spied a young girl who sat quietly paying little heed to the goings on around her, her attention was completely focused on the book in her hand. Haley was struck by a strange sense of familiarity as she looked at her although physically she resembled no one she knew, she couldn't help but feel like she knew her. The reason for the familiarity became blatantly obvious a moment later when she observed her turn her head slightly to furtively sneak a peek at the rather loud boy proudly wearing a basketball jersey, who Haley knew to be the ringleader of the current ruckus. Haley caught the look of adoration that flittered across her face and knew without a single doubt that she could be looking at herself eight years ago. Seeing that she was once again absorbed in her book Haley turned her attention to Jason the object of Kelly's attention. Yes she could definitely see a lot of Nathan in the way he behaved. There was no mistaking that arrogance.

"Jason I want you to sit down this instant.

No don't throw that.

Jason…"

Finally she settled for just yelling his name forgetting one of the first things she had ever learnt about controlling a class full of adolescents which was don't try to shout over them. He barely glanced at her before tossing the football across the room to where one of his friends was standing waiting to catch it.

With everything that was going on she was completely unaware of the door opening and someone moving in to the room to stand less than a metre behind her. So it was with some surprise that she noticed a sudden quieting of the room and allowed herself to wonder if maybe her shouting had had some effect despite the fact that it had not been immediate. Jason suddenly looked nervous and as he opened his mouth to speak she prepared herself to accept his inevitable apology. But when it came needless to say it was not at all what she had anticipated.

"Sorry Coach," he said humbly.

Haley started to speak before she had time to properly digest his words.

"That's quite alright…." She trailed off uncertainly. _Did he just call me Coach?_

It was then that she noticed that he really wasn't looking directly at her it was more a point over her left shoulder.

With an overwhelming sense of foreboding she turned slowly to look behind her.

_Oh great one of the only members of staff I haven't met yet and this is how we're introduced. He's going tot think I'm an incompetent idiot._

But the sight that greeted her as she turned around was worse than even her overactive imagination could ever have predicted. Standing there bold as brass was Nathan smirking at her in a way that left her in no doubt what he thought of her teaching skills._ What the hell is he doing here?_

Its quite amazing sometimes how even the most intelligent of people can fail to piece together a puzzle if the outcome is not something they want to admit to. But there is only so long that one can remain in denial when the facts are thrust so blatantly in front of you.

"You're? " she stopped coughing nervously trying to clear her throat.

"You're Whitey's replacement?

"You Nathan Scott are Coach of Tree Hill High?"

"Got it in one Hales." He replied quietly so his words would not be overheard.

Raising his voice slightly he gestured towards the door with a tilt of his head.

"Could I see you outside Miss James? There's something we need to discuss."

Haley looked at him and opened her mouth to deny his request then she saw the look in his eye and knew that if she did not accede to his request he would not hesitate to create a scene and that quite simply was the last thing she needed. It was becoming increasingly apparent that her students held no respect for her whatsoever whereas she could tell with a quick glance around the room that almost all of the class were looking at Nathan with something akin to hero worship. It definitely would not improve matters to go head to head with Coach Scott in front of them especially when it was one confrontation she could almost guarantee she would lose.

Nodding briefly she turned back to the class hoping to make it appear that she held some modicum of control over them.

"All of you can go on with your work. I'll be just outside."

Then she quickly spun on her heel and without another glance in Nathan's direction strode out into the hall. She schooled her features into something resembling neutrality as she sensed him following close behind her.

Hoping to be the one to set the tone of the conversation she whirled around to face him.

"What can I do for you Coach Scott?" she said desperately attempting to promote an air of professionalism.

She focused her gaze on a point over his shoulder determined to avoid looking into his eyes. She knew those eyes far too well and could easily recall the peril that one simple glance into them could cause. On more than one occasion in the past she had found herself drowning in their blue depths and she knew too well that if she wanted to keep her emotions out of this discussion then it was imperative for her to avoid those eyes.

"Well for starters **Miss James** you can look at me when you're talking to me."

His use of her full name should have been a sign of respect but for some reason hearing it roll off his tongue like that it sounded more like an insult and she had to restrain the shudder that went through her body.

Complying with his request she shifted her gaze slightly to rest on the collar of his t-shirt. _Ok this is getting slightly more dangerous but I'm a big girl I can handle it._

"You seemed a bit out of your depth in there," he commented hardly.

"I'll be fine I've just got to set some ground rules with them."

He looked at her quizzically for a moment almost as if he was trying to read her mind, to see if she truly believed the nonsense she had just told him. _Oh my god she is actually serious she truly believes that that's going to work._

"I'm not sure Frank would agree." He said quietly but Haley could hear the implied threat behind his words.

"You're not going to tell him are you?" she blurted out desperately.

"Please you can't. I'm sure that I'll get better its just some jitters in my first week I will definitely improve as time goes by."

"Yeah well you couldn't get much worse," he muttered under his breath just loud enough for her to hear.

She was momentarily stung hearing his words but she knew they were the truth so she swallowed the urge to argue her case.

"Well Coach Scott if you're finished insulting my teaching skills I really need to get back inside…"

He interrupted her before she could finish "Actually that's not the only reason I asked you to come out here. I just wanted to let you know that I'll be taking you to dinner tonight so be ready when I come to collect you at eight."

_Surely he must be kidding_ she told herself.

Her gaze flew up to his face from where she had been steadfastly examining the material of his t-shirt, looking for some sign that he was joking but looking up at him she realised two things very quickly. The first was that he was very serious and the second was that she had made a big mistake allowing herself to look into his eyes. But she also realised that the reason to avoid looking into his eyes now was very different to what it had once been. While before she would have become lost in the tenderness that he gazed upon her with now she found herself captivated by the flash of something much more carnal. The response that had been on the tip of her tongue dried up and she was unable to speak as she tried to define the emotion burning in his eyes.

"I'll take your silence as agreement."

"Oh and do me a favour" he threw back over his shoulder as he turned to walk away from a stunned Haley "get rid of the school ma'am outfits they don't fool me for a second. You've got a great pair of legs Hales you may as well show them off."

He disappeared around the corner leaving a shell shocked Haley staring at the empty hallway where he had stood just moments before.

Several minutes passed before she was able to regain enough composure to return to the class. Luckily Jason and his crew of friends seemed worried that Coach Scott might return so their behaviour was manageable for the rest of the period. Had Haley been thinking straight this probably would have annoyed her greatly to know that the only reason her class were behaving was because of Nathan but her mind was well and truly occupied with other things and she barely gave the reason for their good behaviour a thought. Her thoughts instead consisted more of finding Nathan and telling him that there was no way she would go to dinner with him that night or any other night for that matter.

As she was to find out though as the day progressed finding Nathan was no simple task and when the school day came to an end she still had not been able to cancel their dinner.

As she left school having failed in her attempt to track him down in the teachers lounge she reassured herself with the knowledge that there was no way Nathan could have been serious. He was just trying to fluster her and unfortunately he was succeeding. But as she was to find out later that night one should never doubt Nathan Scott when he says he is going to do something.


	5. Author's Note 1

**A.N Hey guys sorry to any new readers. But due to my own incredible stupidity this chapter is going to be at least temporarily unavailable. I will try to fix this as soon as possible. Once again I apologise.**

**For those of you who are new to the story I'd better try and give you at least the general gist of what has happened in the two chapters that are currently missing. If I can't somehow recover them then I will have to do a re-write at some stage but am not sure when that will be.**

**Ok first off was chapter Five which was titled A Blast From The Past.**

**This chapter saw the entrance of Brooke into the story although there was very little found out about her or what she has been up to. Instead Brooke was there solely to get the goss on what was happening with Haley and Nathan. She had heard that Haley was back in town and wanted to know what was happening. While she was there grilling Haley, Nathan arrived to collect Haley for dinner and was unimpressed to find her not dressed for an evening out.Haley tried to get out of going while Brooke of course did her best to pressure Haley into going. Haley eventually got rid of Brooke and told Nathan that she would not be going to dinner with him. But Nathan refused to accept that and eventually Haley told him that she would only go if he could give her three good reasons why she should. He accepted gladly and proceeded to give her three reasons beginning with the fact that they would have to work together so needed to be able to at least be civil around one another. He then told her that she had to go to dinner with him if she didn't want Frank Logan to find out just how out of control her class had been that day and for the third reason. He told that she owed him. After walking out on him five years ago and leaving him terrified about what had happened to her the least she could do was go to one measly dinner with him. Haley agreed and went upstairs to get ready. While up there she decided she needed a bit of dutch courage and proceeded to drink half a bottle of wine. That was how the chapter finished.**

**Chapter Six unfortunately has also done a disappearing act so I'm going to do my best to give you a condensed version of events in that chapter. The chapter was titled Tonight's Dinner Menu includes Hostility, Horniness and Horrifying Facts.**

**This chapter began in the car as they were driving to the restaurant. Haley was extremely nervous and knew that Nathan was stressed also just by looking at him. Neither one was speaking and that was unsettling Haley even more. When they got to the restaurant Haley found that it was one that they used to go to regularly when they were dating. They are both glad to get out of the car. Haley really wants to put some distance between them but Nathan comes around to her side of the car to guide her into the restaurant. He ends up putting his arm around her waist to guide her inside. Haley is a bit out of it she's thrown by what it feels like to have Nathan touching her again and the alocohol she has consumed is not helping. Nathan is trying to keep things normal and so asks her about where she has studied but Haley gets upset because she thinks he is having another dig at her about the way she handled her class earlier in the day. Nathan hadn't meant it that way but when she starts to yell at him he starts telling her that that is exactly what he meant. Haley tries to leave but Nathan won't let her. They order and eat. More wine is consumed during dinner. Haley gets extremely annoyed as Nathan deliberately stretched out the evening as long as possible. They are interrupted by the owner of the restaurant Paolo who remembers them from when they used to come to the restaurant. He assumes that they are still together after all these years and is thrilled for them. He and Nathan start to talk about basketball and Haley watches as couples begin to dance. Paolo sees her watching and insists that they go out to dance immediately. Haley protests but eventually gives in. As they dance they start to kiss and touch and things are getting quite heated between them. Just as Nathan is about to try and get her to leave with him to go somewhere that they can continue in private. Haley hears a voice from behind her, a woman calling out to someone named Josh to come and have a look at this. Haley pulls away immediately really freaked out. Nathan doesn't know what's wrong and tries to continue. She won't let him telling him to stop. She can't do this. She's engaged. Well sort of.**

**That should bring you up to speed on the events leading up to the next chapter. I know its not the same as having the actual chapters to read but I promise I will do everything in my power to rectify this problem as soon as I possibly can. Hope you enjoy the story and I hear from you all just what you think of the goings on of Naley in my story.**

**Ange x.**


	6. Explanations

**A.N Sorry guys have been having internet dramas again. But I'm finally back online so its time to give you the latest installment. Hope you enjoy.**

**kaos2405 **Ok I take it by that review that you were a little surprised by the end of the last chapter either that or you've decided my story is crap.

**unfolddream **Glad you liked Paulo. He was just something that popped into my head as I was writing but I may try to work him into later chapters.

**TinyDancer7** I'm glad you liked the dance scene. This chapter should hopefully explain about Haley's sort of engagement. As for poor Nathan I wouldn't start feeling too sorry for him just yet. He's a big boy and he certainly is not above turning the tables on her. He is going to make her suffer.

**MeSpikeAndAngelinA3sum** Glad you enjoyed the chapter and yes you're right there is some definite craziness in store for future chapters.

**jacqueline22393** Glad to know you're still reading. Unfortunately this chapter does not hold much Naley action but I can assure you that there is plenty of that to come in future chapters. Thanx for the review.

**heather dawn** Well I'm glad that I did manage to surprise some people with the engagement story line. Its definitely going to create some interesting situations between Nathan and Haley. As for her waiting so long to tell anyone well I haven't really explained that in any of the coming chapters that I have written so far but I'm kinda thinking it was just a case of she didn't think it was anyone elses business and maybe was a little worried about how Nathan would react. Not that she would probably admit that.

**doodlebah** Thanks for the review. This chapter should answer your question about her engagement but remember all is not necessarily as it seems in my stories. Enjoy the latest chapter.

**Jenna** Wow thanx for the complimentary review I still get a little disbelieving when people enjoy my writing so much. But it definitely brings a smile to my face to get such positive reviews.

**Cap'n Keira Sparrow** Glad you enjoyed that chapter and as with most of the other reviewers from the last chapter your questions should hopefully be answered in this chapter. If you feel I'm still leaving any holes in the story let me know and I'll try to incorporate answers in the chapters to come. Thanx for the review.

**cherrymfzb** Great to get a review from you once again. I decided that it was definitely time to start getting some Naley action happening and what better place than the dancefloor. I would have loved to continue it longer but thought with the way the story is going at the moment that i didn't want things to go too far with them just yet but they will definitely be getting up close and personal in the coming chapters and I can promise they will not be interrupted quite so early in the process. This chapter should explain about Josh and their so called engagement. On another note I just went and checked out your latest installment of your story and found your authors note. That is so cool. Thank you so much. I'm really enjoying your story.

**Ok all well keep reviewing and if you haven't reviewed before please do I like to know what a wide range of people think of my stories. Even if what you have to say is negative at least it lets me know where I'm going wrong. Unfortunately this chapter will not include any making out with Nathan and Haley but felt that I needed to use this chapter to explain a bit of what has been happening and how they are feeling. The advantage of having had no internet is that I've been able to get the next five chapters done and I can promise that there is definitely some Naley action to come. The chapters are all ready to go so all I'm waiting for is you guys to have a chance to read and review. Enjoy.**

**Chapter Seven.**

"What the fuck are you talking about? How can you be sort of engaged? You're either engaged or you're not there is no sort of about it."

She visibly paled at his obvious anger although she knew that he was totally justified to be more than a little upset. She was going to have to try and explain things to him and hope to God that he would understand. Looking at the fury on his face now though she could not help but have her doubts about just how understanding he would be.

"Normally," she began "I would totally agree with you but in this case things are slightly more complicated."

He stared at her contemptuously but she could almost see the wheels turning in his mind as he tried to make sense of her statement. "So," he said his voice dripping with malice. "Does this sort of fiancé of yours have a name?"

"Of course he does," she responded trying to keep her voice as neutral as possible not wanting to set off his temper anymore than she already had. "His name is Josh."

"So where is this invisible Josh? Are you hiding him away somewhere in your house?"

"Of course not," she couldn't help but snap her own temper starting to assert itself. "He's back in Chicago."

He grabbed her arm abruptly before she could continue any further. "Come on. We're getting out of here. I want to hear every single detail of this supposed engagement and I have a feeling it's going to be a long story. I may as well be comfortable for it." He finished off as he practically dragged her back to the table to collect his jacket and her purse.

She could see Paulo across the room involved in chatting to some other guests. She forced a smile onto her face and gave him a little wave. Nathan pretended at no such niceties and instead sent a curt nod in the older man's direction before steering Haley out the door.

As they got into the car Haley held her breath subconsciously in preparation for the interrogation that she was sure was about to start but Nathan apparently had no intention of having this conversation while they were driving and remained closed lipped.

As he drove Haley leaned her forehead against the cool glass of her window and tried to work out exactly how much she should tell Nathan about the situation with Josh. It was confusing enough just living it without trying to explain it to someone else especially when that someone was arguably the person who knew her best in this world. She grimaced as she realised the ridiculous notion her mind had just cooked up. _He may have known the old me but he has no idea about the person I have become today._

It was difficult though to block out the small voice that whispered from somewhere deep inside that in reality she had not changed all that much in the time since she had left. Deep down she was still the same person with the same values and principles that she had always had and the same vulnerabilities.

Anxious to steer her mind to safer topics she tried to focus on Josh and everything that had happened between them. In so many ways he was the perfect man for her. She had met him while she was studying at Strayer University back in Chicago and although it had hardly been love at first sight they had managed to build a relationship based on friendship and mutual respect, which had eventually become something so much more. He had been one of her lecturers at college and although it was not a necessarily common practice he had taken a personal interest in Haley James the moment she had set foot into his lecture or so he had later told her.

They had only dated for six months before he had popped the question but he had insisted that this was what he wanted. She could still clearly remember exactly how it had all come about.

_**Flashback **_

_Arriving home from another day of nerve-wracking placement in a local school she was in a state of sheer fury. __Bursting in the front door of their home she had barely noticed the wonderful aroma of one of Josh's special dinners simmering away on the stove. Instead she had stormed into the kitchen in serious need of venting some of her anger and it just so happened that Josh was right within range._

"_Why?" she yelled throwing her hands up into the air in emphasis. _"_Why do they set us up to fail? __There is no way that that group of maniacs is a typical freshman English class. __They were completely out of control. __I don't believe anyone could possibly control that group of miscreants without resorting to severe bodily harm and I'm pretty sure that's not part of any American High School's curriculum."_

_Finally pausing to draw breath she took her first proper look at Josh since she had entered the room. He appeared to have dressed up more than usual and she madly tried to remember if they had plans that she had forgotten about._

"_Haley Honey calm down __Here have some wine."_

_She accepted the proffered glass gratefully and took a long sip before she glanced to where Josh was standing still holding his full glass apparently intending to make a toast._

"_Oops sorry." She apologised._

"_That's fine honey. __Dinner's almost ready why don't you go get changed and I'll finish up in here."_

_Several minutes later she returned and began to eat in silence. She knew Josh liked to chat during dinner but tonight she was too hungry to care._

_Looking up she saw that he had barely touched his own food. He was definitely acting strangely tonight. __Pushing her plate to the side she turned her full attention to him. _"_Ok spill, what's on your mind?"_

"_I'll tell you when we've finished eating,"_

"_No I want to know now."_

"_Haley please."_

"_Just tell me."_

"_Fine you really want me to do this now then here goes." __He pulled something from his trouser pocket and came around to where Haley was sitting. Getting down on one knee he took her left hand in his. _"_Haley I want you to be my wife. __Will you marry me?"_

_Haley stared at him in dumbfounded silence. Surely she could not have heard him right. But looking down she could see an expensive ruby ring being slid onto her finger._

_He was looking at her expectantly so she did the only thing she could do._

"_Umm Ok. Sure I'll marry you." __She knew she should be exuding more enthusiasm but she was in total shock she had never thought this would happen._

_Josh appeared not to notice. _"_Oh honey that's wonderful __I can't wait to make you my wife." __He pulled her into his arms kissing her enthusiastically. Between kisses telling her again and again how wonderful their life together was going to be._

_**End Flashback**_

Snapping out of her daydream she realised the car had stopped and she turned to find Nathan studying her curiously.

"Thinking about your darling fiancé?" he enquired sarcastically.

Determined not to let him get the better of her she smiled sweetly at him and answered. "Yes I was actually."

"Alright well let's hear it. Tell me all about this sort of engagement."

She looked at him although she knew that he was only using the same words that she herself had used to describe her engagement she could feel her anger growing as she heard the contemptuous way he described her betrothal. "I don't have to tell you anything." She snapped her eyes flashing with undisguised fury. "Now can you please take me home?"

"I'm not taking you anywhere until we talk this out."

Not taking the time to examine her surroundings Haley wrenched the door open. "Fine then I'll walk."

Nathan laughed then but there was little humour in the sound. "Haley have a look around. I really don't think you're going to be walking home from here. Now why don't you close the door and start talking?"

Haley finally took the time to look around her and see where they were. It was with some surprise that she recognised their location. Nathan's car was parked high on a cliff overlooking the sea. It was the same place that he had brought her to many times in the past after he had got his licence. Although in the past they had usually come here with other things in mind than simple talking. She knew they were about ten miles out of town but she was determined to make it clear to Nathan that he could not just order her around. She was so tempted to call his bluff and begin walking but deep down she knew she was being ridiculous. Begrudgingly she got back into the car and pulled the door closed.

"Well?" he asked impatiently.

"We got engaged about a year ago," she began. _I may as well just tell him what he wants to know and then maybe he will finally leave me alone._

Nathan looked down at her left hand trying to see if he had somehow missed out on seeing the symbol of another man's hold on her but her finger was bare. There wasn't even a tell tale white mark on her finger that would indicate a ring had been there anytime recently.

Haley saw him studying her hand and self-consciously buried it in her lap away from his prying eyes. Looking into his eyes she could see the question that he had yet to voice and rushed to answer it before he said anything. "I um don't wear the ring that much."

"So let me get this straight. You're sort of engaged to a man who is nowhere to be seen and you have a ring that you don't wear? You weren't kidding when you said this was complicated."

_He doesn't know the half of it. Wonder what he would say if I was to tell him the whole story_. She knew however that that was not a story she was willing to share with him at this point in time. "We're still together," she told him "we're just having a little break right now."

"Yeah and?" he asked pressuring her to continue.

"I really don't think the rest of it is any of your business," she stated simply. "Now will you please take me home?"

He considered refusing but the truth was he needed time to digest this new information and figure out how this fit into his plans. "Fine," he said not even glancing in her direction. "Lets go."

As he drove he inwardly fumed. He didn't understand what the hell was going on here and that bugged the hell out of him. Suddenly a thought occurred to him. Turning to look at her he asked the question that was now plaguing his mind. "That was him, wasn't it?"

She looked at him in confusion.

"That was him that you were talking to on the phone the other night? When you were crying? You were talking to **him**."

Haley wasn't sure how he even knew about that but could see no point in lying to him about it. "Yes that was Josh." She shuddered as she saw a look of cold fury cross his face as he connected this latest piece of the puzzle.

Minutes later he pulled up in front of her house but as she went to undo her seatbelt he stopped her placing his hand over hers. "Do you love him?"

She recoiled from his touch shocked at his question. "What are you talking about? Of course I love him. I agreed to be his wife didn't I?"

"Then why the hell did you kiss me like that?" His voice rose again as he allowed his temper to take hold.

She couldn't answer him she had been asking herself the same question ever since they had left the restaurant and she still had no idea. "I don't know," she answered softly getting out of the car and walking away. "I really don't know," she said out loud to no one in particular as she opened the front door to let herself in. She half expected him to come after her but to her relief he didn't. She couldn't handle being with him any more until she got herself back under control.

He sat in the car watching her enter the house. This news had completely thrown him for a loop and he wasn't sure how to deal with it. He pulled smoothly away from the kerb and headed towards his house. He had a lot of thinking to do.

Haley meanwhile could not get his earlier words out of her head. They kept repeating themselves over and over again. _"So let me get this straight. __You're sort of engaged to a man who is nowhere to be seen and you have a ring that you don't wear?" _Nathan was right this was completely nuts but it was funny how she had never seen the ludicrousness of this situation until Nathan came back into her life and pointed it out to her. Josh was a great guy and she really loved him. They had a lot in common and always had plenty to talk about but she knew those things were not what was required to make a successful marriage.

After she and Josh had gotten engaged for a while she had been able to pretend that everything was right with the world but she soon found out that her act was fooling no one least of all Josh. Things had started getting strange almost immediately as Haley had kept coming up with excuses not to wear the ring. The excuses were many and varied ranging from her being worried it would get lost or damaged if she wore it to school to simply saying that it didn't really match her outfit. Josh had been very understanding at first namely because he didn't want to pressure her but he finally had enough the day that they had sat down to set a date. Haley had been prevaricating for weeks trying to avoid this discussion but he had eventually pinned her down and made her go through the calendar with him.

But deciding on a date was to be no easy task as Haley managed to find something wrong with every single date that he suggested. He was fast reaching the end of his tether with her and it was starting to show. Eventually he snapped and told her that it was time for them to take a break, he was convinced that there was something in her past that she needed to resolve and so he had suggested that it was time for her to go back to Tree Hill and sort out whatever it was. To be honest it had probably been slightly more than a suggestion. It had been offered to her as an ultimatum. Either she resolved her issues with the past or she say goodbye to any future that they might have together. So that was how she had come to return to Tree Hill. Although she had never had any intention of ever setting foot in the town again it had ended up being a choice between resolving her past and giving up on her plans for the future.

She sighed to herself as she realised how unfair her behaviour had been to Josh. She loved him so much but for some reason just could not bring herself to put that ring on her finger and decide on a date that would begin her life as Josh's wife. Deep down she knew she was being illogical and she would tell herself that things would get better but they never did and now she was back in Tree Hill trying to make her peace with a past that she had been trying for so long to forget.

Across town Nathan sat stewing over the latest developments. So much had happened in that one evening. He had finally had Haley back in his arms and they had kissed. It amazed him just how much that one kiss had affected him after so long away from her. Then of course everything had fallen apart with the news that Haley had a new fiancé. He wasn't sure at this stage just what he should do with that piece of information. A thought occurred to him then. _Maybe this isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact this could be just what I need to bring her down._

He smiled to himself he now knew exactly how he was going to bring about Miss James' downfall and it would be so simple if tonight's earlier events were anything to go by. _All I have to do is get Haley back into my bed, which if memory serves me correctly won't exactly be a hardship. I know what she's like and there is no way she will be able to continue with this engagement if she's cheated on poor old Josh. Then when it's over between them and she comes running back to me ready to pick up where we left off that's when I'll do it. That's when I'll dump her. Revenge is going to be so sweet._

As Haley got ready for bed an hour later she pulled out the ruby ring that Josh had given her and looked at it in wonder. She could never understand how this piece of metal could hold such power over her. Sighing she placed it down on her bedside table allowing it to rest beside a simple gold band containing one perfect solitaire diamond.


	7. Fair Game

**A.N Figured it was time to give you guys some more. So here it is. I guess the only thing I can really say about this chapter is Poor Haley she's really having a tough time. Although if I'm going to be honest if this is her version of having a bad day then I would quite gladly swap places. How about the rest of you? Hope you all enjoy. Let me know what you think.**

**kaos2405** So I guess any concerns I had that you might not be enjoying the story were not exactly justified. That was one enthusiastic review and I thank you for it. Enjoy this chapter.

**hesfadedme** To be honest I don't think any of us would like to get on Nathan's bad side. Plus she has the added inconvenience of a fiance she loves very much. Things are definitely not all roses in Haley's world at the moment.

**MeSpikeAndAngelinA3sum** I apologise once again for how long it took me to update last time. Internet has definitely been giving me grief lately. As for Nathan's plan I couldn't resist making it a bit evil but something that he will enjoy carrying out. Whether or not he will be able to go through with it I guess remains to be seen.

**unfolddream** I'm happy that you liked that line. It just seemed like the sort of smart ass thing Nathan would say. Keep reading and reviewing I love finding out what you think of each new chapter.

**jacqueline22393** Uh oh is right I think you can safely assume that Haley's life is about to include a whole lot more drama. Poor Haley if only she knew what I had in store for her.

**Cap'n Keira Sparrow** I honestly didn't think people would like that lastchapter let alone think that it was interesting. Thanx for the vote of confidence.

**Chapter Eight.**

By the time Haley's alarm went off the next morning she was already up and dressed. It had taken her forever to fall asleep the night before and then when it had finally happened she had found herself awake again less than two hours later staring wide eyed at the ceiling praying for sleep to find her once again. But after an evening such as she had experienced the night before it had proved impossible to get her mind to slow down enough to allow sleep to be a genuine possibility. Now she was suffering the consequences of too much alcohol and too little sleep as her head pounded monotonously.

The shrill ringing of the telephone beside her didn't help and as she picked it up she wondered if Nathan would be on the other end ready to begin round two. Picking up the phone she decided to make it clear from the start that she had no interest in hearing anything he had to say. "Yes," she said hoping her abrupt greeting would convey exactly how much she did not want to be speaking to him right now.

"Haley, honey how are you?" Josh greeted her.

"Josh," she said in shock "um hi."

"I'm not waking you am I? I thought you'd be up getting ready for work by now."

"No of course you're not waking me," she assured him. "I'm glad you called."

"Well after you seemed so upset when we were speaking the other day I thought I'd better call and see if you're feeling any better. You know you never did explain to me what had you so upset."

"It was nothing really I was just feeling a bit bad about the way things have been between us." She couldn't tell him that seeing Nathan again had been the catalyst for all those tears. He didn't even know Nathan existed and as far as she was concerned it would be best if it remained that way.

"But you're ok now?" he asked sounding relieved.

She started to speak to tell him that she was fine but before she could he continued what he was saying.

"I was actually trying to call you last night. I tried several times but I didn't get an answer. Did you go out?"

Not wanting to lie to him but not sure she really wanted him to know everything she told him the truth well her version of it anyway. She decided that this was one of those occasions where it would be best to use the less is more theory. "Yeah I actually went out to dinner with a colleague. We used to go to school together and now we're both back there as teachers."

"Well that must make things easier for you having someone on staff who's your age and you already know them. So where did she take you for dinner?"

Looking back on it later Haley would wonder why she didn't just correct his assumption then and there but for some reason she was reluctant to tell him that her dinner companion for the night had not been a woman. Maybe it was knowing the inevitable questions that would follow that she really didn't want to have to answer. After all if Josh were to hear that it was a man who had taken her to dinner he would have wanted to know just what their relationship was in High School. Haley knew that she was not ready to talk about just how close she had been to Nathan in High School or the fact that at the time she had truly believed that she was in love and he was the man she was destined to spend the rest of her life with. No there was definitely no need for Josh to know that. Nathan was her past. Josh was her future.

"Just to a local Italian restaurant here in Tree Hill."

"Well that must have been nice for you. I'm glad you have someone to spend time with while you're in Tree Hill."

"So you were trying to call me last night. Was there anything important you wanted to talk about?" Haley tried to steer the conversation onto more comfortable ground and away from her little white lie.

He hesitated for a moment. "No nothing important. I just wanted to know how you were settling in."

"I'm fine." She assured him. "Of course I'd be better if I was back in Chicago with you."

He chuckled gently at her comment and Haley couldn't help but grimace at his reaction, she had not meant that as a joke.

"I really have to get going if I'm going to get to school on time but I miss you and I'll talk to you soon ok."

"Ok honey I miss you too. Bye." Josh said hanging up and smiling to himself as he wondered how she would react to the surprise he had in store for her.

Haley remained where she was staring at the phone for a few moments after he had hung up. _What am I doing? _She asked herself. _Now I'm lying to Josh. __I guess it was only a small white lie and its not like he's ever going to find out because there is no way I'll be spending any more time outside of school with Nathan._

Convinced that she was worrying about nothing as she was prone to do she put the phone down and grabbed her keys and purse before heading out the door to drive to the school.

Nathan sat impatiently in his car in the teacher's parking lot waiting for her to arrive. Although initially he had been very unhappy to learn that she was engaged to someone else now he couldn't help but marvel at how well this piece of information actually tied into his plan. Another five minutes went by before he saw her car turning into the lot and taking the empty space adjacent to where his car was parked. He watched her get out of the car and walk around to the passenger side bending to retrieve the books and papers she would need for the day. He paused for a few seconds to admire the rounded shape of her ass clearly visible beneath her fitted skirt before getting out of the car and moving to stand behind her.

"Need any help?" he enquired silkily.

Hearing his voice come so unexpectedly from behind her she stepped back in shock. He placed both of his hands on her hips supposedly in an effort to steady her but more because he knew it would unnerve her.

Haley gasped in shock as she felt Nathan's body pressed so closely against her. There was no need for her to look to see who it was that stood behind her. Even if he hadn't spoken in that familiar voice there is no way she would have failed to recognise the feel of his body against hers or the almost automatic response her blood pressure gave when he was close by. She felt his warm breath caress her neck as he leaned his head down to speak into her ear.

"Here why don't you let me take these?" He said removing his hands from his hips and moving them up to remove the cluster of papers in her hands effectively trapping her in the circle of his arms for that brief moment. Bringing the sheaf of papers back around to be held casually in one large hand he deliberately blew lightly on the nape of her neck and watched as she shivered in response. He smiled to himself. It appeared she was just as vulnerable to him as she had always been. Noticing how rigidly she was standing in front of him he reached out and ran a finger slowly down the column of her spine and was gratified to see a noticeable softening of her stance.

Leaning in again he spoke once more into her ear. "You can still feel this thing between us can't you Hales?"

Haley tried to inject some venom into her voice as she responded but her reply came out sounding breathless instead of forceful, as she had intended. "I don't know what you're talking about." She told him but not even she believed it as she said it.

"Oh I think you do," he told her allowing his hand to come to rest on her hip again as that torturous finger stroked lightly against the skin under the hem of her shirt.

She breathed in deeply somehow she had to try and force her traitorous body to move away from those magnificent sensations he was stirring within her body using nothing more than a finger. She could feel the hard muscles of his chest behind her and wanted nothing more than to turn around and drag him to the nearest empty room so she could refamiliarise herself with every inch of his body. Gathering every morsel of self control she had she forced herself to move sideways away from that hand of his and turned to face him. "Nathan you have got to stop this. I told you last night that I'm engaged. We cannot keep doing this."

"Oh of course," Nathan feigned forgetfulness. "You're engaged to um… now what was his name again."

She opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off.

"No don't tell me I'm sure I'll remember it. Was it Tom? No that wasn't it was it. Greg? It was Greg wasn't it."

Haley shot him a venomous look.

"Right I guess it wasn't Greg then. I know. It was Peter wasn't it?"

The look on her face became murderous as she continued to glare at him.

"Hmm well I guess that leaves only one more possibility. Yes I remember now. How could I possibly have forgotten? The name of your fiancé is…" He paused wanting to make sure this statement held maximum impact. "Nathan. Nathan Scott I do believe. Which would of course be me. Yes I seem to remember a certain pledge to each other along the lines of us getting married some day."

Haley cut into his little tirade. "Nathan stop…"

But he continued as if she hadn't spoken. "Yet it seems that you had no trouble forgetting all about that little promise doesn't it. Now as for what was just going on between us. Trust me as your fiancé I don't mind at all. In fact I say the more of it the better."

"Nathan stop it. You know perfectly well that I was talking about Josh."

"Ah yes of course the infamous Josh. The famous invisible fiancé." He looked thoughtful for a moment as he weighed up his next words determined to make sure that she understood his meaning very clearly. He didn't want her misinterpreting anything of what he was about to say. "Well Haley from what you've told me I'm not certain that he should really be called that. If I understand what you said last night correctly. You were engaged. But you're not now. So as far as I'm concerned that makes you fair game."

"Nathan you can't be serious" Haley protested. "I told you last night that we may be taking a break right now but Josh and I are still together."

"One small problem with that Hales," Nathan continued determined to have the last word in their conversation. "I don't see Josh here do you? So as I said before Hales that makes you fair game and I can promise you that things between us are just beginning and they are only going to get hotter. Hope that's not going to be a problem for you." he said although it was clear that he didn't mean it. Now if you'll excuse me I have a class to get to but I'm sure I'll see you later." He leaned in towards her apparently intending to kiss her on the cheek but at the last second he gripped her jaw in his hand and turned her face to his searing her lips with a hard kiss. "Try not to miss me too much." He called back arrogantly over his shoulder as he causally sauntered away.

_Oh God_ Haley said to herself _this cannot be happening. _Reaching into her purse she pulled out her phone and a small white business card. Dialling the number printed in bold black ink she waited impatiently for someone to answer at the other end. Not giving the other person a chance to speak after their initial greeting. "Brooke, it's Haley. Any chance you're free for that lunch tomorrow. I really need to talk."

Brooke agreed and they made plans to meet at a café in town the next day.

Hanging up Haley heaved a sigh of relief. _Well at least I seem to have got the worst out of the way. Surely the day can only get better from here._


	8. The Hazards of Grocery Shopping

**A.N Chapter nine is here and I hope you all enjoy it. I want to say a big thank you to all the reviewers who have been reviewing so regularly it's great to know that you are still enjoying the story. However I'm starting to worry whether this story is any good or not because it seems that even though there are plenty of people reading it there are not that many reviews coming through. I am probably worrying needlessly. But please if you read my story and you haven't reviewed please do even if its a criticism I would rather know what people think. Enough of that nonsense. Read and review because chapter 10 is ready and waiting. Oh and I found a way to incorporate a bit more of Jason and Kelly's story into this chapter. Let me know in your reviews if you think I should continue with this.**

**kaos2405 **Hey I'm glad you enjoyed that chapter. Thanks for the review. When It Comes is such an amazing story I am completely hooked. I wish I could write anything even close to as good as that. I think its quite obvious from my stories just how much I adore Nathan too so I totally agree with you there.

**Cap'n Keira Sparrow** Yes poor Haley. She's really having a tough time of it lately although what happened inthe lastchapter is nothing compared to what I have in store for her so make sure you keep reading. This story hasn't been that great so far in my opinion but I'm really happy with the chapters I've got written that are just waiting to be posted. I can promise you that at the very least in my opinion this is only going to get better. I really appreciate the feedback you offered.

**MeSpikeAndAngelinA3sum** So I guess by that review I should take it that you are a fan of this story. I definitely thought it was time to start turning up the heat for Nathan and Hales and they are very easy characters to write strong sexual tension between. If you liked what happened in the last chapter you should see what they get up to in chapters still to come. Thanx so much for the review.

**TinyDancer7** Yeah things are definitely heating up between them. Knowing Nathan he will make things as difficult as possible for Haley. How far he will go I guess you will have to wait and see but I'm certainly planning to continue with the aggressive behaviour at least for a while asit adds a bit of a different element to this story. The next chapters are definitely going to have some interesting moments for the two of them. Glad you enjoyed that chapter and hope you continue to read and review.

**unfolddream **Glad you enjoyed seeing a bit of action between Nathan and Haley. I have the next few chapters written and ready to post and I can assure you that there is plenty more action coming up between them and it is going to become a lot more frequent. Wonder whether Haley will be able to resist once Nathan starts really turning up the heat. Thanx for reviewing.

**hesfadedme** All I can say to that review is if you found that chapter to be dirty as you described it then I hope that you liked it, because I can guarantee some of the other stuff that is coming up in future chapters is a hell of a lot raunchier than that. Thanx for the review and keep reading and reviewing I like hearing what you think.

**Chapter Nine**

The rest of the day passed in a state of constant nerves for Haley.

She kept waiting for Nathan to appear and start trying to seduce her.

_Not that he would have to try that hard_ she admitted ruefully to herself as she felt that familiar flutter in the pit of her stomach as she thought of him and every little touch that had occurred between them in the last 24 hours.

Considering that before they went to dinner the night before they hadn't touched in five years it certainly seemed as if they were making up for lost time.

Not that there was any way that she was going to let this continue.

Being around Nathan again was simply reminding her of their past and she kept getting caught up in all those old feelings but the simple fact was that those feelings belonged in the past and that was where they would have to stay.

She had Josh now and as soon as she could convince him that there was nothing in this town that was preventing her from moving on with her life she would go back to Chicago and they would marry.

When the final bell rang she practically raced back to the teachers lounge wanting to leave before Nathan had a chance to corner her again.

Thankfully when she arrived there was no sign of that familiar dark head lurking anywhere around so she was able to gather her things and leave in a slightly more dignified manner.

Walking across the courtyard she caught sight of that young girl Kelly from her Freshman English Class and was once again struck by the similarities between herself and this girl at that age.

From what Haley could see she was really quite an attractive girl but seemed to deliberately hide herself away behind that long curtain of dark hair and clothes that did nothing to draw anyone's attention to her.

But as Haley glanced around the rest of the courtyard it seemed that Kelly had attracted the attention of at least one person.

She could see Jason standing in a group with all his jock friends and all the girls who would most likely make up the Tree Hill Cheerleading Squad in the not too distant future but he wasn't really noticing the larking around of his friends instead his focus seemed to be fixed on Kelly unbeknownst to her.

One of his friends became aware that Jason was not joining in on their fun and as Haley watched she saw him follow Jason's gaze to where Kelly was standing.

Turning he nudged some of his other friends and started sniggering at Jason.

From her vantage point she was unable to hear anything that was said but she saw the way Jason's friend clapped a hand down on Jason's back which broke Jason from his trance and she knew without having to hear that some derogatory comment was made about Kelly.

As she watched she saw Jason grimace slightly at the comment made by his friend before laughing along with them and turning away from Kelly as if she was of no further importance to him.

Haley stayed where she waswatching fora little bitlonger hoping for some sign that Jason was not going to turn out to be just another arrogant jock who would ultimately end up only dating cheerleaders and be the automatic selection for Prom King etc.

She didn't know why it mattered so much to her to see some sign that Jason genuinely felt something for Kelly but she found herself unable to tear her gaze away.

Finally just as she was about to give up hope she saw him turn and covertly cast a longing glance in Kelly's direction.

Seeing this Haley turned and walked away with a smile on her face even though she didn't know why it was there.

Nathan too had been watching this little scenario play out but his attention had been drawn to it only after he had spotted Haley watching them so intently.

As he watched them though he could not figure out why Haley was showing such interest in the group of adolescents.

He recognised a few of the boys as ones he had earmarked as possible starters for the Tree Hill Ravens but could not for the life of him understand why Haley seemed to be watching them so intently.

He saw her turn and look towards a young girl who stood talking quietly with a small group of friends.

He vaguely recognised her but was unsure of her name.

Turning back to the group of boys he saw Jason amongst them apparently watching that girl whoever she was and smiled slightly to himself.

There were times when he looked at Jason that he could almost see himself the way he was eight years ago.

So arrogant and full of himself everyone clamouring to be friends with him because he was so popular destined to be king of the basketball court.

Well that was until Haley came along of course because she had been one of the only people in the entire school who hadn't stood for any of his shit.

Sometimes he wondered what sort of person he would have become if he and Haley had never gotten together but he wasn't sure he liked the probable answer to that question.

Besides he'd never had a chance to find out.

Coming out of his thoughts he looked across the yard to where Haley stood and saw a faint smile steal across her face as she continued to look at the group.

He turned just quickly enough to catch a glimpse of Jason looking at that girl and once again wondered why Haley seemed so interested.

But when he turned back to look at Haley hoping to gather some more clues to her strange behaviour he saw that she was gone.

Looking at the parking lot he was just in time to see her car leave.

It was the end of her first week at Tree Hill High and the weekend was ahead of them.

He decided that he would be paying a visit to Haley in the next couple of days.

He needed to continue to pressure her if this plan of his was going to be a success.

Haley drove to the market her mind still on the situation she had witnessed between Kelly and Jason.

She was at a loss to know why the two of them had become so important to her but she simply could not stop thinking about them.

Pulling into the car lot in front of the grocery store she made a conscious effort to forget about them and instead concentrate on enjoying the weekend and the respite it would give her from Nathan's advances.

She had lunch with Brooke to look forward to tomorrow and other than that her weekend was her own to do as she pleased but first she needed to buy some food unless she intended to starve for the next few days.

She grabbed her list out and commandeered a trolley walking briskly down the aisles collecting what she needed and paying little attention to those around her.

Moments later a voice halted her.

"Haley, is that you honey?"

That voice was so familiar but surely it couldn't be.

Looking up from the contents of her trolley she forced her lips into a welcoming smile.

"Deb how are you?"

"Oh Haley it's so good to see you after so long.

What are you doing here?"

Haley took a deep breath wondering how the news she was about to impart would be received.

"I'm actually living here again.

I got a job at Tree Hill High as an English teacher."

Haley watched as Deb absorbed this information thoughtfully then saw a huge smile cover her face.

"Oh that's such wonderful news.

I wonder why Nate didn't tell me."

As Haley listened to Deb ramble on about how wonderful it was that fate had brought Nathan and Haley together again she thought back to the special relationship she had always shared with Deb.

In some respects Deb had been more like a mother to Haley than her own mother had.

Haley's mother had always been too caught up in her work and the antics of Haley's many siblings to pay much attention to her much quieter youngest daughter.

She had always been supportive but had never shown a lot of interest in what was happening in her life.

In fact probably the only time she had really ever gotten either of her parents attention was when she and Nathan got engaged.

Lydia and Jimmy had been ecstatic with the news although Haley had often privately wondered whether it was genuine happiness for her or simply relief that Haley had found someone else to spend her time with.

Deb on the other hand had always shown genuine pleasure to see her whenever she came to visit Nathan and had fully supported and encouraged Haley's relationship with her son.

Sensing Deb watching her she turned back to see her looking at her expectantly having obviously just asked her a question.

Haley was reluctant to let on that she had in fact zoned out while Deb was speaking and so took a chance and answered her with an uncertain "Ok".

"Oh sweetheart that will be wonderful.

Just come to the house at about seven o'clock tomorrow night.

Now did you want me to call Nathan and tell him or will you be seeing him tonight?"

Haley looked at her aghast this had to be some sort of cruel trick that fate was playing on her surely she did not just agree to dinner with Nathan and his family.

She wondered if she could possibly back out of it but looking at the pleasure clearly present on Deb's face she couldn't bring herself to disappoint her.

_Damn it _she inwardly cursed _when am I ever going to grow some balls and stop caring so much about trying to please everyone else._

"Umm you had better call him.

I'll just see you there."

Deb continued to chat away for the next few minutes but Haley couldn't focus on a word she said.

_How do I keep getting myself into these situations?_

Making a concerted effort she forced herself to focus on what Deb was saying otherwise she'd probably find herself agreeing to a night of naked pole dancing although come to think of it even that sounded better than another night spent in Nathan's company.

"Anyway Haley I'd better get going but I'll see you tomorrow night ok.

Oh I am so looking forward to this.

It's going to be just like old times having you and Nathan together again."

Forcing herself to sound cheerful Haley responded with an appropriate.

"Yes I'm sure it will be wonderful.

I'll see you tomorrow night."

Deb pulled her into a quick hug before bustling away beaming at the thought of what the next night would bring.

Haley half-heartedly looked down at her list and continued her grocery shopping although the way her stomach was feeling at the moment she could not imagine herself eating much in the near future.

It seemed her stomach was too full of dread to actually have any room left over for food.

**A.N I decided to give you some spoilers of what is coming up in the next chapter. So here they are.**

**Haley and Brooke go to lunch but they are joined by two unexpected guests. Brooke has some advice for Haley that Haley doesn't necessarily like. Haley's ready to go to dinner but she's in for a surprise with her mode of transportation.**


	9. Say Please

**A.N Time for another update. A big thankyou for the reviews that I have recieved so far. As you probably noticed at the end of the last chapter I tried something a bit new and added some spoilers at the end of it. Let me know whether you like to have little hints about what the next chapter holds or not. If you do then I'll continue to give you spoilers but obviously if you prefer not to know then I won't put them in. Hope you all enjoy this chapter. There's plenty more where this one came from.**

**heather dawn **I was very glad to get a review from you again I was a bit worried that you'd lost interest in the story. As far as Nathan being oblivious well what can I say he's a guy. Thats the way it is for about 95 per cent of them. Just joking. Anyway yes Nathan is not allowing himself to see what is right in front of him probably because he might actually have to admit that that makes his whole revenge plot wrong. Well I guess your wait is over with finding out exactly what mode of transport Haley will be taking to dinner at Deb's. I wasn't sure about whether to include spoilers but after having a comment made about them in the first review for the chapter its given me incentive to possibly continue them. Thanks for the words of encouragment to keep going with the story too it really means a lot when someone takes the time to tell you that they enjoy what you are doing. Anyway thanx for the review. Hope you enjoy this chapter too.

**Cap'n Keira Sparrow **I know at this stage Haley seems to be on the recieving end of a lot of shit but I can promise you that she is going to start to fight back and it will have some very interesting results. But for the moment she definitely still deserves our sympathy. Poor girl just really can't take a trick at the moment. Glad you liked that chapter.

**unfolddream** I promise I will try and find a way to work in more of the Jason/Kelly saga. Thanx for the review.

**TinyDancer7** I'm glad that you enjoyed having some more of the Jason/ Kelly story and I will somehow continue to work their story into this one. They are actually quite a useful tool to remind Haley of what things were like in the early days between her and Nathan but of course Nathan being a guy is not really picking up on the similarities just yet. I can assure you that Deb's involvement in the story is going to add some whole new dramas to Haley's life. This dinner party just being the first of them and lets face it Nathan is going to use any ammunition he can. Thanx for the long review I really appreciate it.

**MeSpikeAndAngelinA3sum **Well at least I know I can always rely on you for a very enthusiastic review. I'm glad you're enjoying this story so much. When I first wrote about Kelly and Jason I honestly only intended for it to be a one off deal and that would be it. They were more just going to be used to remind Haley of how things were between her and Nathan at that age. I never dreamed that they would become such a phenomenon all on their own. Now it seems I have to find ways to incorporate them further into this story because they have become popular in their own right. Anyway thanx for the review as always.

**doodlebah** Yay one of my lost reviewers has returned. I thought you must not be enjoying the story anymore when I hadn't heard from you for such a long time. Needless to say I was glad to get your review. I can now relax a bit knowing it was just a case of school getting in the way. I'm glad you enjoyed the last few chapters and I can assure you with what I have planned its only going to get better from here. Thanx for reviewing and I hope things get a little less hectic at school for you.

**HipHopper92** Thanx for the review it was great to get one from someone new. I hope you continue to enjoy the story and let me know what you think. If you haven't done so already check out my other Naley stories. I'd love to hear what you think about them too.

**Chapter Ten**

Haley woke up the next morning and for a moment had to stop and think why she was filled with such dread for the day that lay ahead.

It all came rushing back to her in a hurry and she buried her head beneath the pillows of her bed.

_This is the stuff nightmares are made of. _

Glancing at the clock beside her bed she found that despite her trepidation she had actually managed to sleep quite well as it was almost eleven o'clock.

Briefly she considered attempting to go back to sleep but something was nagging at her conscience and she knew there was some reason that she really needed to get up now.

Suddenly it all came back to her and she realised that she was actually supposed to be meeting Brooke in just over half an hour for lunch.

She jumped out of bed and rushed around getting ready.

Remembering Brooke's reaction to the clothing she had worn the other night she deliberately pulled out one of her better outfits for their meeting.

Having a record quick shower she shimmied herself into the short black skirt and pulled the red tank top off the hanger quickly pulling it over her head.

As usual she kept her makeup use to a minimum and left her hair down around her shoulders.

Glancing at her watch she realised that if she didn't leave right then she was going to be late

Arriving at the café they had agreed upon ten minutes later she found Brooke had not yet arrived and mentally chastised herself for rushing around the way she had.

Brooke had never exactly been known for her punctuality as Haley now remembered and apparently nothing had changed.

Going inside she ordered herself a drink and sat down to wait.

From the booth that she had chosen she had a good view of the door but was tucked away where no one could necessarily see her unless they were specifically looking for her.

Hearing the bell over the door jangle she looked up to find a very familiar face making his way towards the counter.

Surprised at seeing Lucas again after so long she immediately stood up to wave him over.

She hadn't realised that he was still in Tree Hill and although they had never been extremely close in High School Haley was still glad to see him.

She had gotten to know him reasonably well due to the fact that he was Nathan's brother and could see no harm in passing some time catching up on old times with him while she waited for Brooke to arrive.

Before she could wave him over though the sight of Nathan stepping up to the counter beside Lucas halted her.

She froze hoping that neither one of them would spot her.

"Tutor Girl" Brooke greeted her cheerfully and loudly from near the door.

Haley cringed as Brooke's voice carried clearly to the two men standing at the counter.

She saw Nathan's head immediately whip around at the sound of Brooke's voice and start scanning the occupied booths and tables looking for her.

"Damn it." Haley muttered to herself as she saw his eyes come to rest on her.

Brooke flopped down onto the bench opposite her as she watched Nathan nudge Lucas and gesture in the direction of the two women.

As she watched Lucas nodded his head in apparent agreement and pointed the booth out to the waitress who had taken their order.

_Oh please don't tell me they actually intend to join us for lunch._

She heard Brooke's excited squeal as she noticed the two men and proceeded to call them over.

"Broody, Nate get over here.

Come and join us."

Haley looked to the ceiling and vented her fury to whatever higher power existed.

"What did I ever do to you?" she cursed under her breath.

Lucas slid into the booth beside Brooke and smiled first at her before turning his attention towards Haley.

Haley meanwhile was doing her best to pretend that she wasn't even aware of Nathan sitting beside her with his leg pressing against her and his arm automatically coming up to rest along the back of the booth behind her.

Moments later she realised that this had perhaps been a mistake as Nathan obviously felt a need to make sure she was very aware of his presence.

He removed his arm from its resting place lightly rubbing his fingers across the nape of her neck as he did so before he casually placed his hand under the table, ostensibly to allow it to rest on his own knee but in actual fact placing it on Haley's bare thigh.

As casually as she could she took her own hand away from the bench top where it had been resting and placed it over his attempting to prise his warm fingers away from her exposed flesh as covertly as possible.

Brooke and Lucas however were completely oblivious to the happenings on the opposite side of the booth as they chatted away and caught up on each other's lives.

Haley tried to interrupt but they carried on as if she had never spoken.

Nathan bent his head close to her ear keeping his voice low so that only she would hear.

"We really have to stop meeting like this Hales.

There's only so much temptation a man can take."

Hearing this Haley whirled around to face him anger emanating from every pore.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she hissed at him

"I haven't done anything to tempt you."

Nathan gave her a disbelieving look.

"Oh really so what do you call this little number then?" he asked indicating her outfit.

"Well for starters Nathan I had no idea that I would be seeing you and for another thing what I choose to wear is my own business.

I certainly don't plan my outfits around what you will think of them."

Nathan's look clearly said that he thought she was lying.

"Nice try Hales but why else did you get Brooke to invite us to lunch?"

Haley shot a look across the table to where Brooke and Lucas sat so obviously engrossed in their conversation.

_No it's not possible _she told herself _not even Brooke would possibly pull something like this._

Although the more she thought about it the more it made sense, her excitement over their possible reunion the other night, her incurable penchant for matchmaking and now it seemed she was doing everything in her power to avoid looking at her.

"I did no such thing." She protested vehemently.

But she could tell with just one brief look into Nathan's eyes that he didn't believe a word she was saying.

"Come off it Hales it's obvious you've finally come to your senses and decided its time to give things between us another chance."

As he spoke his fingers moved rhythmically against her thigh and with shock she realised that her hand was still resting on top of his.

She immediately pulled back hoping that by some small miracle he had somehow managed to be completely unaware of it.

Risking a sideways glance at him a moment later though she knew her hope had been in vain as she witnessed that trademark smirk in full flight on his face.

Across the table Brooke took advantage of Haley's momentary preoccupation to look across at the two former lovers.

Nudging Lucas excitedly she somehow managed to keep her voice low as she leaned over and whispered to him.

"See I told you this would work."

"Brooke what makes you so sure this is working I mean they're hardly declaring their undying love for each other over there."

Brooke shook her head at him in disappointment.

"Broody, Broody, Broody you should know by now that you should never doubt me when I tell you something.

Look at the way they are looking at each other they're totally engrossed in each other."

"Yeah except for one small problem that being that Haley looks like she's about ready to commit murder.

Oh and now that I think of it there is one other small flaw in your plan.

How are you going to explain the way we've been chatting to each other like we haven't seen each other in yearsall this time when she finds out that we're actually married?"

Brooke looked momentarily crestfallen as Lucas found obvious flaws in her supposedly perfect plan.

"Don't worry about it baby I'm sure it will be fine." She told him with her customary optimism.

Haley knew she had to escape it was too much for her to handle being this close to Nathan once again and it was making it impossible to think straight.

"Can you excuse me for a moment?" she asked him.

"I think I should go and order some lunch."

She used the first excuse she could think of although food was the last thing on her mind at that moment.

"Oh Hales while you're up there," Brooke broke in having apparently finally noticed someone other than Lucas "can you order me a chicken salad and a bottle of mineral water?"

Haley considered telling Brooke that she had to come and order her own lunch but she knew that she would sound completely juvenile so swallowed the response that had risen up in her throat and instead agreed amicably.

"Nathan can you please move so I can get out?"

"I'm sure you can squeeze past me Hales."

Haley gave him her best murderous glare but he remained where he was completely unfazed by the venom that was seemingly shooting out of her eyeballs in his direction.

"Fine," she huffed "if that's the way you want it."

She stood angrily grabbing her purse and keeping her back to him shestarted to squeeze past him.

Unfortunately for Haley the last occupants of the booth had spilt some of their meal on the floor and nobody had bothered to clean it up so just as she was almost past him she felt her foot start to slip uncontrollably out from under her and found herself toppling backwards into Nathan's lap.

She sat there stunned for a moment before trying to find her feet once again but Nathan's arm came around her waist holding her in place.

"See Hales you keep telling me that you're over me with your words but your actions tell me a totally different story."

She wriggled around in his grasp trying to free herself from his lap but he continued to hold her effortlessly in place.

"Uh uh," he told her "not so fast."

"Don't I at least get a thank-you for catching you?"

Haley looked up to see Brooke and Lucas watching them.

Lucas looked slightly incredulous with the whole situation whereas Brooke was watching with rapt attention obviously enthralled with the scene playing out opposite her.

Haley literally squirmed uncomfortably under their gaze and Nathan once again spoke into her ear.

"Ooh keep that up I like it."

"You are such a pig." She hissed at him.

"Let go of me right now."

"You don't really want me to do that Haley."

"Of course I do now just let go."

Tightening his grip on her fractionally he actually had the audacity to laugh at her struggles and the way her temper was obviously flaring.

"Sure Haley I believe you," he said mockingly.

"Now I'll be only too happy to let you go but first I want to hear you ask me nicely."

That was the absolute last thing that Haley wanted to do at that moment but she knew Nathan well enough to know that he would gladly keep her there all day if she didn't do as he asked.

Gritting her teeth she glared at him.

"Nathan," she ground out "will you please let me go now?"

"Sure gorgeous," he answered nonchalantly "all you had to do was ask."

He released her then but could not resist pinching her lightly on the ass as she stood and moved away.

Walking to the counter she had to use every ounce of her self control not to pick up a drink from one of the nearby tables and pour it over Nathan's head but somehow she resisted the urge.

She stood at the counter reading over the menu several times giving her temper time to cool before she would be forced to return to the table.

Finally she ordered Brooke's salad and a toasted sandwich for herself.

It was going to be all she could do to choke that down while Nathan sat beside her.

As she returned to the table she saw that Nathan was chatting on his cell phone.

She really didn't want to have to go through the ordeal of trying to squeeze past him again but knew she did not have much choice.

To her surprise though as she approached she saw Nathan smiling broadly at something being said to him on the other end of the phone, he looked up and saw her and then without being asked simply stood and allowed her to get into the booth before he once again slid in beside her.

She couldn't help but wonder what had happened to seemingly make him decide to pass up another opportunity to mess with her and pondered the identity of the caller that he appeared to be getting so much pleasure out of talking to.

_Oh God what if it's his girlfriend? _although she couldn't quite work out why the idea of that should bother her so much.

The rest of their lunch passed in a state of tension that even Brooke couldn't help but be aware of despite her constant optimism.

When they had all finally finished eating Nathan apparently decided that he had tortured her enough for one day and suggested to Lucas that they leave.

Lucas readily agreed and Haley felt some of stress start to lift until Nathan turned back to her with one last parting comment.

"I'll see you at dinner tonight Hales."

Haley felt her stress levels skyrocket just at the mere mention of the words 'dinner' and 'tonight'.

She wished she could tell him that he would not be seeing her because there was no way that she could bear another night in his company but she simply couldn't let Deb down like that.

So she looked at Nathan and with all the enthusiasm of someone who's just been told the worlds going to end in a few short hours she concurred.

"Yeah I'll see you there."

Haley collapsed back into the booth as soon as they left playing disinterestedly with the half ofher sandwich that remained uneaten on her plate.

Brooke turned to her with her usual enthusiasm and told her that she had booked them both in for an afternoon of pampering at the local beauty salon and after that they were going shopping.

Haley looked at her and seriously wanted to ask her just what the hell she had thought she was doing setting her and Nathan up the way she had at lunch.

But she could see just looking into her eyes that she was genuinely excited about trying to get the two of them back together.

She resolved to have a nice, casual chat with her that afternoon and explain what her situation had become.

She would tell her about Josh and then Brooke would realise that her matchmaking attempts were unwanted and she would back off.

Poor Haley was about to find out that Brooke was not such an easy person to use such basic logic with because when Brooke set her mind to something she worked with a set of rules that was all her own.

Standing in front of Brooke a few hours later in a cute skirt and top combo she spun slowly allowing Brooke to properly judge the outfit she had chosen.

"I like it Tutor Girl that's definitely a winner.

I'm sure Nathan will like it too."

Haley looked at herself critically in the mirror.

_Would Nathan really like the way she looked_?

She had to admit it was different to her usual less is more approach that she took.

Brooke had talked her into getting her hair cut a little shorter so that it now seemed sleeker and framed her face perfectly.

She had also allowed herself to be talked into having her make-up done professionally so that looking at herself in the mirror now she almost couldn't recognise herself as the same person who had stepped out her front door a bit over four hours ago.

"You are going to knock his socks off Tutor Girl."

Haley had tried explaining to Brooke while they were having their nails done about her relationship with Josh and how that meant that she no longer had any interest in rekindling her relationship with Nathan but to her surprise Brooke already knew all about it.

However knowing about it and letting it stop her were two completely opposite concepts to Brooke and so she had brushed off her relationship with Josh in much the same way Nathan had.

Telling her that as she and Josh had put their engagement on hold that meant that this was perfect timing to see whether there was any chance that she and Nathan could make a go of things again.

Haley sighed as she walked up to the register to pay for her new clothes.

Things really hadn't gone the way she had hoped they would with Brooke.

Instead of gaining an ally in fighting her feelings for Nathan she had actually found that Brooke was completely on Nathan's side and wanted nothing more than to see the two of them back together.

As they left the store a few minutes later Brooke hugged her in farewell.

"Don't worry Tutor Girl these things happen for a reason and its pretty obvious to me that the reason for all this is that you and Nathan are meant to be together."

Haley shook her head in protest of Brooke's words.

"No Brooke you're wrong.

Nathan and I were over a long time ago.

My future is with Josh."

Brooke looked at her intently for a moment and it seemed to Haley that she was almost peering into her soul.

"If that's what you need to tell yourself Tutor Girl but I'm not so sure."

Giving her one last hug Brooke climbed into her car and left Haley to her thoughts.

Looking at her watch she realised that she needed to get a move on if she was going to get to Deb's on time.

She piled her shopping bags into the back of her car and drove off towards her house.

An hour later she was ready to go.

She had retouched her makeup and changed into her new outfit telling herself the whole time that she was not wearing it because Brooke had said Nathan would like it.

Taking one last glance into the mirror she picked up her keys and purse heading out the door.

She stopped dead in the drive though as she saw an unfamiliar vehicle parked behind her.

_Who do I know that owns a motor bike?_ she thought.

To her horror she saw Nathan sitting astride it.

She crossed her arms over her chest defensively before walking over to him.

"What are you doing here Nathan?"

"Well I thought since we were both going to the same place I may as well pick you up.

No point in taking your car when I can give you a lift now is there?"

Haley was forming an argument but just as she was about to speak Nathan interrupted.

"Don't bother arguing Haley.

I said you're going to ride with me and that's exactly what you're going to do."

Haley stamped her foot in frustration but she knew she didn't really have a choice unless she intended to walk to Deb's.

There was no way Nathan was going to allow her to use her car.

Without another word she stomped over to where he sat holding out her hand for the other helmet.

Climbing on she felt her skirt ride up on her thigh slightly.

Looking up she saw Nathan watching her.

"Nice outfit Hales.

Nice to see you went to some trouble for me?"

**Spoilers for Chapter Eleven: Extra dinner guests give Haley a surprise. Deb gets some good news. Haley pays a visit to Nathan's bedroom.**


	10. Just Desserts

**A.N Ok before I go any further with this story there is something I have been meaning to say for quite some time. I just want to give a big thank you to cherrymfzb for her help with telling me about the American school system. It has definitely come in handy with this story. Thanks so much Kat. Well judging by all the enthusiastic reviews you guys are still enjoying this story. I'm sorry I didn't update over the weekend but some friends and I went on a road trip but don't worry I used the time to do plenty of brainstorming and I've come up with some amazing ideas for this story so I can promise that things are really going to get interesting with this story in the near future. But i'm back now and figure I owe you guys an update. Enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think.**

**heather dawn** Well it seems from the last couple of reviews that you are in favour of the spoilers and I think at this stage that I will probably continue with them. You don't have to wait any longer to find out about the extra guests at dinner hope you enjoy what I did with them. I'm glad you enjoyed the motorbike idea because to be honest it was a spur of the moment inclusion and I wasn't sure how people would feel about it. Lastly with Nathan's bedroom well I hope you won't be disappointed with what I've made happen in there. Thought it was about time for some more Naley action as I would assume most people reading this story did. Thank you so much for your review and I'll look forward to hearing your thoughts on this chapter and the ones that follow.

**HipHopper92** Wow two reviews in less than 24 hours thats an impressive start. Thanx for reviewing again and I was really happy to hear that you enjoyed the last chapter. Hopefully this chapter with the dinner scene will live up to expectations. Personally I like how it worked out and that is not something I would necessarily say about a lot of my chapters so it will be interesting to see whether anyone else agrees with me. Thanx again for reviewing and keep them coming. Reviews definitely give me incentive to update.

**Cap'n Keira Sparrow** Thanx for the vote of confidence for the last chapter I was really happy to hear that you enjoyed it. Plus you gave me another tick in the pro spoilers column. Keep reading and reviewing I always look forward to hearing what you think.

**MeSpikeAndAngelinA3sum** First off I've been meaning to tell you forages how much I like your pen name. I'm a huge Buffy and Angel fan and lets just say the thought of a naked Spike and Angel does not exactly upset me. Now onto your review once again it was full of enthusiasm which definitely makes me smile to get a review like that. Glad you enjoyed the chapter and that Haley's awkwardness is making itself apparent. I think we all know that Nathan is very capable of pushing people's buttons on the show and that was an element I wanted to carry over into my story. Poor Haley just makes it far too easy for him to get at her buttons. It sounds like the spoilers are going to be a welcome addition to my chapters so thanx for letting me know your opinion. Hope you enjoy this chapter too.

**cherrymfzb** Yay. I was so happy to get a review from you again. I was starting to think you might be one of the readers I had lost along the way. I'm glad you enjoyed that chapter and were amused by Nathan's behaviour. Don't think there's going to be any face punching going on in the near future but rest assured that Haley is going to start fighting back in the chapters to come. After all there is only so much a girl can take and Nathan is fast pushing her to that point. I hope the dinner party lives up to expectations. Thanks for the review. I'll look forward to hearing what you think of the next chapters.

**hesfadedme** Glad you think so. Thanx for the review.

**unfolddream** I know Nathan never shies away from saying what he thinks. Personally I love writing his flirty side so you should see quite a bit more of that to come. Thanx for the feedback.

**Kennedy** Thanx for the review. It was great to get one from you again. I'm glad you are enjoying the story and thank you so much for the compliments on my writing. You made my day. Make sure you keep reading and reviewing.

**hilaryhilary** You have no idea how excited I was to see that I had a review from you. I have been enjoying your stories so much and to find out that you actually enjoy mine too made my day. Don't worry about the fact that you didn't review up until now just make sure you keep them coming from here on in. LOL. Anyway like I said I'm really pleased that you like the story. I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

**Chapter Eleven**

Haley held on for dear life as they careened around corners at breakneck speed.

_This is why someone like Nathan should never have a motor bike._

She knew that they weren't much further from Debs' house and said a silent prayer that she would survive the next five minutes.

Somehow they arrived at Deb's without any major mishaps and as Nathan turned off the engine Haley released a huge sigh of relief.

_I'm still alive._

Remaining where he was on the bike Nathan craned his neck in order to look behind him at Haley.

"So I'm judging by the white knuckles Hales that you didn't necessarily enjoy your first time on a motor bike."

"To put it mildly." Haley grunted in response.

"Well I guess I can't make all of your first times as enjoyable as I made that other one," he said with a smirk.

Haley glared at him slightly but could not actually find words to argue with him.

It was hard to disagree with something when she knew it was the truth.

"We should go inside," she said anxiously trying to break the moment because she could tell just by looking at him that he was remembering that other first time that they had shared together.

"Hey I'm ready" he said.

"I've just been waiting for you to let go of me so that we **can** go inside."

As he said this he brought his hand up to stroke across hers where they still remained on his chest.

She was still clinging to him just as she had been throughout the ride.

She groaned as she realised what sort of conclusions he had probably drawn from her behaviour.

"Hales don't worry about it.

I didn't mind at all." He assured her.

"Yeah that's what I'm worried about." Haley muttered under her breath.

But Nathan heard and broke into laughter.

Pulling her hands away from his chest she pulled the helmet off and ran a hand over her head making sure her hair was not all over the place.

Not bothering to look back at him she walked towards the door but she could feel him following close behind her.

"Nathan I want to ask you one thing before we go inside."

He looked at her and she took this as her sign to continue with her request.

"I really like your mom and I don't want to hurt her so please don't do anything to embarrass me tonight."

"Of course not Hales," he replied blandly.

They could see Deb's shape hovering on the other side of the door about to open it.

Leaning his head down so he could speak into her ear he asked in a whisper.

"You don't embarrass easily do you?"

Deb answered the door with a huge grin on her face.

"Haley honey I'm so glad you came."

Spying Nathan standing behind her Deb's smile actually grew if that was even possible.

"Oh Nathan I didn't realise you were here too.

Did you two come together?" she asked and there was a definite note of hope in her voice.

Although she didn't say anything Haley could tell that this was extremely good news as far as Deb was concerned.

In Deb's mind they were probably well on the road to reconciliation.

Haley wished that she could tell her exactly how obnoxiously her son had been behaving recently but her innate good manners would not allow her to tell Deb what she really thought of her son.

Haley could hear the low rumble of Nathan's voice behind her as he chatted quietly with his mother.

"Well," Deb said breaking into Haley's thoughts "why don't you come inside the others are already here."

"Others?" Haley questioned.

Nathan had already told her before they left her house that Dan was away on an extended business trip and was not expected back for at least the next three weeks.

"Yes," Deb answered "Lucas and Brooke are in the lounge."

Haley's face must have shown her confusion because Deb hurriedly explained things to her.

"Lucas and Dan have managed to put aside their differences and he and Brooke have been coming around for Saturday night dinners about once a month ever since they got married."

"Married." Haley choked out.

Deb looked at her a little strangely for a moment

_If I don't stop repeating everything they say she's going to think I've lost it._

"Um yes it must be about sixteen months now. Nate does that sound about right?"

"Yeah I guess so." Nathan answered with a notable lack of enthusiasm.

"Anyway," Deb continued, "We can't stand out here talking all night.

Come in and have a drink."

As they entered Deb leaned over to speak conspiratorially into Haley's ear.

"Haley I have to tell you it is so wonderful seeing you and Nate spending time together again.

It really does my heart good.

I hope this time things will work out for the two of you."

Haley started to speak but before she could correct Deb's misconception she was almost bowled over by Brooke flinging herself at Haley.

"Haley I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier about Lucas and I.

Please don't be angry with me."

Haley hastily reassured her.

"Tigger it's fine don't worry about it.

I'm not angry but I am a little bit confused.

Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

As Haley spoke her mind was in overdrive.

So this must be how Brooke had known she was back in town and how she had known about Josh suddenly things were making a bit more sense although she was still at a loss to know why Brooke hadn't told her about her marriage.

"I don't know Tutor Girl I guess I was just worried that you wouldn't feel comfortable talking to me about things if you knew I was married to Nathan's brother." Brooke answered Haley's unspoken question.

Haley glanced over to where Lucas and Nathan sat watching the two women earnestly obviously wondering what Haley's reaction was going to be to this deception.

"Like I said before Brooke its fine.

Don't worry about it."

Looking up Haley saw Nathan approaching her with a glass of wine.

"Here Hales drink this you look like you could use it."

"Thanks," she said quietly taking the proffered glass.

Deb re-entered the room from the kitchen where she had been checking on dinner.

"Ok everyone you may as well get comfortable dinner's probably going to be about another 20 minutes or so."

Haley moved over to the sofa where Lucas was sitting pulling Brooke along with her.

Sitting herself down she dragged Brooke down next to her ensuring that she had Lucas sitting on her other side thus making it impossible for Nathan to get too close.

Nathan apparently realised what she was doing and sat down in an armchair directly across from her smirking at her behaviour.

Ignoring him she turned her attention to Lucas.

"So Lucas tell me what you've been doing with yourself for the last five years."

Just over 20 minutes later Deb came in to tell then that dinner was ready.

Haley heaved a sigh of relief because although she had tried her best to focus on what Lucas had been saying about his job and his mother's recent marriage, time and time again she found her attention being drawn back to where Nathan was sitting.

Each time she would determinedly turn away from him only to find herself once again staring at him within minutes of turning away.

For once though if Nathan was aware of her behaviour he wasn't showing it so she was grateful for that at least.

At least it would be one less thing for him to hold over her head later on.

At dinner she found herself seated across the table from him and so pretended great interest in her food rarely allowing her eyes to lift from her plate.

As they finished up their main course she felt Lucas moving nervously beside her.

Looking up at him she found him staring at an extremely anxious looking Brooke.

As she watched she saw Brooke give a slight nod to her husband and Lucas abruptly cleared his throat before standing up.

"Hey everyone Brooke and I have some news we want to share.

Um well I guess there's no other way to say it.

Brooke's pregnant.

We're having a baby."

"Oh that's fantastic." Deb exclaimed jumping to her feet and rushing around to hug first Brooke and then Lucas.

"I'm so happy for the two of you."

Nathan and Haley offered their congratulations also.

Deb made a toast to the future parents and as they drank their wine she quickly pulled another bottle out.

"Ok everyone get a refill.

I want to make another toast.

Lucas honey go and get Brooke some more mineral water." Deb instructed him.

When he returned moments later and Brooke's glass was once again full Deb lifted her glass and looked at Nathan and Haley.

_Why is she looking at us like that?_

"I just want to say how wonderful it is to have the two of you here together again and if no one minds I'd like to make a little toast."

Everyone remained silent and Deb continued.

"To Nathan and Haley and a chance for new beginnings."

Brooke and Lucas enthusiastically raised their glasses and Nathan looked at her sardonically before he too raised his glass in the air.

Haley could feel Deb's eyes on her but she could not force herself to join in the toast.

"Actually Deb…" she started to say.

"What we wanted to tell you Mom," Nathan spoke over the top of her "is that we've already decided to give things another go."

"We're back together again."

Deb let out a little squeal of delight as she looked back and forth between the two of them.

Haley could feel a strange pressure building up in her chest and knew it had to be released right then.

She wanted to scream that no they weren't giving things another go but she saw the joy on Deb's face and could not force the words that would tell Deb that her son was a liar.

Pushing back from the table she stammered something about needing to go to the bathroom and walked out of the room racing up the stairs as soon as she was out of sight of the rest of the group.

Entering the bathroom she pressed her face against the cool glass of the mirror and tried to get her emotions under control.

This situation just kept going from bad to worse and all because she could never bear to upset people.

Confrontations had never been her thing hence the way she had left Nathan five years ago without telling him her plans.

She remained in the bathroom staring at her reflection in the mirror for several minutes searching for the courage to refute Nathan's claims and risk upsetting everyone all over again.

The courage required however was not to be found and groaning with frustration she knew she had to go back downstairs unless she wanted to risk Deb sending a search party out to look for her.

As she exited the bathroom she heard the sound of laughter and chatter coming from downstairs and was relieved that it seemed she hadn't been missed just yet.

She looked towards the stairs for a moment and then turned resolutely and headed in the opposite direction.

She didn't know why she felt such a need to go to his room but it was like there was an invisible magnet pulling her there.

Stopping outside the closed door she drew a deep breath and forced herself to open the door.

Moving quickly before she could chicken out she stepped through the opening and came face to face with her past.

Looking around it appeared that very little had changed in fact if she didn't know any better she would almost think that he still lived here and slept in that very bed every night.

Her gaze locked onto a silver frame resting on the bedside table and she felt her heart jump into her throat.

_Surely he didn't still have it?_

Tentatively moving forward she picked up the cool metal of the frame in her hands and gasped as she saw her own smiling face staring back at her.

She didn't really think that she seemed to have changed all that much in the last five years but looking at Nathan's beaming face in the photograph she was struck by the changes to him.

Sure he had gotten older but there was something more, in that photo he looked so carefree and exhibited a genuine joy in life but these days it seemed to have been replaced by a more guarded look and it was almost as if he had closed himself off from the world.

She wondered what had happened to change him so much.

She briefly considered the possibility that maybe it had something to do with her leaving but quickly dismissed that possibility.

_Nathan hadn't cared that much about me surely._

Pushing aside those thoughts she abstractly stroked her fingers over the blue comforter remembering the many times she had slept with that same blue comforter as the only covering over her naked flesh.

"Reminiscing Hales?" his voice was quiet in her ear and before she knew what she was doing she responded with an equally quiet "Yeah."

She jerked her head up as she realised what she had just admitted to Nathan, who was now in the room with her standing mere inches from where she was.

"We spent an awful lot of time in that bed didn't we Hales?

It's a wonder that mattress isn't completely worn out."

Seeing Haley start to tense up he moved closer to her so close that he was almost touching her but not quite.

"Remember how we used to be Hales?

How we couldn't get enough of each other.

How we would practically rip each others clothes off as soon as we entered the room."

"Nathan," Haley's voice held a slight pleading note to it but whether it was pleading with him to stop what he was saying or to continue even she wasn't sure.

"But things are different now aren't they Hales now we can appreciate the excitement of slowing things down a bit.

Of prolonging the pleasure through a slow build up."

As he said this he moved so that his body was pressed up firmly against hers.

He placed his hand against the exposed skin of her midriff as his other hand lifted up her top slightly.

As he dragged his fingers across her skin in a feather light touch Haley had to literally bite down on her lip to stop the moan escaping from her lips.

Nathan didn't need to hear the moan though to know how he was affecting her.

He knew her body almost as well as he knew his own and he was more than capable of telling when she was becoming aroused.

His lips found her earlobe scraping his teeth gently across it.

He could sense her excitement increasing and knew that his chance had finally come.

Turning her around so that he could look into her eyes he could see uncertainty swimming in her brown orbs but he also saw a deep hunger burning within.

Sliding his hands up over her sides he removed her top leaving her standing before him wearing only her bra, skirt and high heels.

He could feel his own body stirring in excitement at the sight that stood before him.

Then Haley did something that he had not expected she raised her own hands to his chest and slowly started unbuttoning his shirt.

Capturing her chin in his hand he tilted her head up to his taking immediate possession of her lips.

She needed no further encouragement and responded with all the enthusiasm of five years ago, parting her lips to invite his tongue into her mouth relishing the feel of his possession.

Removing his shirt from his shoulders without breaking their kiss she brought her hands around to stroke over the hard muscles of his back.

His own hands came down to cup her ass lifting her so that her legs wrapped around his waist and he moved them towards the bed.

Finding the bed he followed her down onto it enjoying the feel of having her beneath him again after so long.

Haley too was finding great pleasure in the familiar weight of his body pressing her back into the mattress.

She was doing her best to ignore the voice inside her head telling her how wrong this all was.

She couldn't understand how something so wrong could feel so right.

His hand left her ass coming around to trace its way up her thigh finding the edge of her panties and pushing two fingers underneath the flimsy material.

He stroked against her moist core and could barely control his urge to rip off his own jeans and plunge inside of her right there and then.

But he had promised her a slow build up and he wanted to hear her pleading with him for it before he took that final step.

Haley deep down knew that what was happening between them was wrong and knew she should try to get him to stop.

_If I could just get him to stop touching me like that but oh god I don't want him to ever stop. _

_It almost feels like we were never apart._

A sharp rapping on the door followed by Deb's voice managed to break her trance though and she froze as she realised what she had been doing with Nathan.

"Nathan, Haley are you in there?

Your dessert's ready."

"I was just about to get my dessert." Nathan muttered just loudly enough for Haley to hear.

"Mom just put ours aside for now." He called back over his shoulder

"We'll be down later."

Haley this time though was not going to allow Nathan to speak for her.

She knew if she didn't get out of here right now then there was no way that she would be able to put a stop to things with Nathan again.

Deb had unbeknownst to her supplied her with an opportunity to bring things to an end before she took them too far and she had to take it.

"Don't worry about it Deb we'll be right down."

Nathan looked at her incredulously.

"You can't be serious Hales.

Things were just starting to get good."

"Of course I'm serious Nathan now please get off me."

Nathan remained where he was.

"Nathan please." Her voice cracked slightly as tears filled her eyes.

"Do you have any idea how easy it would be for me to just continue Hales because I can promise you that if I did you would not be complaining."

He looked deep into her eyes for a moment before apparently seeing the response he wanted in her gaze and rolling off her.

"This is going to happen between us Hales it's just a matter of time."

She shook her head in mute denial of his words.

"There's no point trying to deny it Hales I saw the truth when I looked into your eyes just then and you know it as well as I do."

She wished she could yell at him and tell him that no she knew no such thing but the words would not come.

Instead she stood up straightening her skirt and pulling her top back over her head.

Nathan stood also replacing his shirt and fixing the buttons on it.

He held out his hand to her as he stood in front of her looking at her expectantly.

"What?" she asked wondering what on earth he was playing at this time.

"Well we are supposedly giving our relationship another try don't you think we should at least be holding hands."

"Nathan you know damn well that we are not getting back together.

I have no idea why you told your mother that but you are going to have to tell her the truth."

"As far as I'm concerned," Nathan began "that is the truth.

We are trying again and if you honestly intend to tell her that we aren't then I'd like to know how you're going to explain what was just happening then.

My mom's not stupid Hales she would have guessed exactly what we were up to."

Haley was mortified as she realised he was right and probably everyone downstairs had guessed what she and Nathan had been up to just minutes ago.

"If you want to tell her," Nathan said "that's fine but just don't expect me to do it for you.

Like I said as far as I'm concerned we are starting again."

Haley looked at him wondering if there was any possible way she could get him to reconsider.

But she knew Nathan too well and could remember very well just how stubborn he could be when he set his mind to something.

"Fine, we won't tell her but you're the one that's going to have to explain things when I leave to go back to Josh."

Nathan looked at her cynically.

"Why don't we cross that bridge if and when we come to it?"

Not allowing her a choice this time he grabbed her hand and led her downstairs to where everyone was waiting.

Haley didn't see the curious look that Lucas threw Nathan she was too busy absorbing the excitement Deb and Brooke were regarding her with.

They both looked so thrilled and Haley felt her heart plummet.

_I just have to get through tonight and then I can avoid them all._

Nathan sat down then pulling Haley down into his lap.

"Sorry everyone we got a bit distracted.

So," he said beaming around the table "what did we miss?"

**Spoilers: Haley finds herself dealing with the consequences of dinner plus Haley has a problem and Nathan comes to her rescue although she finds herself wishing he hadn't.**


	11. Taking Advantage Of All Opportunities

**A.N Wow that last chapter seems to have been a hit with you all. I was so impressed with the reviews that I got especially those who took the time to write some longer ones. I love getting long reviews but lets face it reviews of any shape or size are always welcome. I think I've started getting a little carried away with some of my responses to my reviews but I figure if you guys can take the time to write such extensive reviews the least I can do is respond to them in full. This story is shaping up to be quite a bit longer than what my others have been so I hope you guys are prepared to stick with me for the long haul. Enjoy the latest chapter and tell me what you think.**

**MeSpikeAndAngelinA3sum** So I take it you enjoyed the events of chapter eleven. Yeah well I thought it was time for some major Naley action but I couldn't let things go too far too soon when I have so much more planned for this story and the two of them. I agree that Deb did ruin things by interrupting but I guess she is also the reason that Haley was there in the first place so she made that little interlude possible in some respects so we better not hate her too much. I am having so much fun writing Nathan's devious side in this story so I'm glad that you're enjoying it as well.

**heather dawn** Ok first off with that spoiler yes Nathan will attempt to save the day in this chapter but lets face it the way I write him at the moment he will only be doing it because it's going to benefit him in some way. Hope you enjoy the latest scenario. Seems like that bedroom scene was a bit of a hit with most of my reviewers although as I said before I thought it was definitely time to include some more Naley action and don't worry it's going to keep coming. Can't imagine Nathan is going to ease off the pressure on her now can you? Not when he came so close to getting what he wanted in that last chapter. I do kind of agree that Haley is letting herself be walked over a bit with her whole attitude of not wanting to upset anyone but it does allow me to exploit certain situations as you will see in the following chapters so I hope its not bothering you too much. I actually owe you a bit of a thankyou about the motor bike scene because I hadn't intended to actually mention it again until I recieved your last review.So thanks for the inspiration. As for your question about my background I'm actually Australian but I'm currently living in the UK so as much travelling as I have done recently none of it has actually helped me get an understanding of American schools. Well this has turned into a mammoth reply but I really appreciated your long review and wanted to make sure I covered it all.

**kaos2405** Ok well first off I hope you have survived your death threats due to your story. Now onto your review. I was completely blown away by it. To compare me to Gooseless is beyond belief and extremely flattering because I don't believe that I have even half the talent that she does. Her story is beyond amazing and I can't believe that you think I'm anywhere near the same league. Thankyou so much for that it really made my day. I'm glad that you are getting a laugh out of Haley and Nathan's interactions because that is kind of what I have been going for with Nathan's attitude and well as for poor Haley if you don't laugh you'll probably cry. Poor girl doesn't seem to know which way is up anymore. I'm glad you enjoy my attempts at sex scenes. Anyway keep reviewing I love finding out what you think of each chapter.

**hesfadedme** Thanx I'm glad you enjoyed it. Would love to hear what it is about the story that you are enjoying in your next review.

**Naley4eva** It always makes my day when I find out I have a new reviewer who enjoys my story. It was great to get a review from you and I hope to hear more from you in the future.

**unfolddream** I was very happy to hear that you enjoyed this chapter too. The line about the 'first time' was just begging to be used and it just struck me as such a Nathan thing to say at least Nathan the way he is in this story. Thanx for the review. I'm really enjoying your story too. I hope you post another one soon.

**Cap'n Keira Sparrow** Thanx glad you liked it.

**cherrymfzb **Hey Kat, well what can I say. Your reviews never fail to bring a smile to my face. I am basically trying to make Nathan into a bit of an opportunist in this story and what sort of opportunist would he be if he didn't take advantage of Haley's friendship with Deb and of course finding Haley in his bedroom. Well that was just too good an opportunity for our Nathan to pass up. You know me I can never resist adding a bit of sex to my stories. It would have been very remiss of me not to thank you for your info on schools in america. I would have been lost without it. Sorry to hear that things have been so busy for you lately I guess I can hold off a little longer for updates on your stories. LOL. It makes the fact that you have taken the time out to read and review my updates even more special. Hope you enjoy this chapter too and I'll look forward to hearing your thoughts.

**hilaryhilary** Hi Hilary, it was great to get a review from you again. I'm so glad that you're enjoying this story and its great to get reviews from you. I'm glad you've picked up on the darker undertones becoming apparent in this story because I can assure you that there will be plenty more of them. But I will still try to keep some of the light hearted flirting into it too. Stories cannot all just be doom and gloom or at least mine usually aren't. Hope you enjoy this chapter too.

**Kate** I'm so thrilled to have another new reviewer. Thanx so much for your comments on my story thus far. Unfortunately there is not a lot of Naley action in this chapter but I can assure you that this chapter lays the groundwork for some major action between them in the chapters to follow this one. I hope you keep reviewing and letting me know what you think.

**TinyDancer7 **Just as I was starting to fret you're back with a review. It seems its a busy time of year for everyone at the moment so I understand about how much you've had on your plate. I'm just glad to hear from you again and know that you are still enjoying the story. I'm glad you liked the idea of putting Nathan on a bike it was just one of those things that popped into my head as I was sitting here typing away one day and it just seemed to fit. I've always liked a man on a motorbike. Good to know you enjoyed the bedroom scene it seemed that it was definitely time to slip in some more Naley action and they are very easy characters to write sex scenes for. I think Haley is in a bit of a state of denial at the moment she doesn't want to admit to herself just how much in love she and Nathan really were because its all a little too close for comfort at the moment. I've actually came up with a whole new scenario about why Haley left and I'm pretty sure that you are going to find it worth waiting for when it does eventually come out. You'll just need to be patient a bit longer. I couldn't resist the idea of using Deb as a ploy to keep Haley playing nice with Nathan whenever Deb is around and as you are going to find out with this chapter its about to get a whole lot more difficult for Haley. There is definitely some Naley goodness to come in the next few chapters. Thanx for your extensive review and I hope to get another one from you soon. Enjoy your homecooked meals!

**Kennedy **I'm really glad that you enjoyed it and it was wonderful to get a review from you again. Keep them coming.

**doodlebah** Its good to know that you are still reading and reviewing. I'm glad you enjoyed the scenarios I set up in those two chapters eg Haley ending up in Nathan's lap. I agree with you about the fact that it is still a little too soon for them to go all the way but that doesn't mean I can't write some more of these almost scenes now does it? Thanx for the review.

**Chapter Twelve**

It had been four long days since that disastrous dinner at Deb's and Haley had found out in that time just what a huge mistake it was to allow Deb and Brooke to think that she and Nathan were back together.

Between the two of them it seemed they had managed to spread the news to the whole town in the space of a mere 24 hours.

After Haley had left Deb's house on Saturday night she had sequestered herself away in her house for the remainder of the weekend not wanting to take the chance of running into Brooke or Deb or even worse Nathan.

By the time Monday morning had come around Haley was actually looking forward to getting out of the house.

**_Flashabck_**

_She had been feeling a bit stir crazy being locked away for the whole day and was actually pleased to be going to work._

_She just had to hope that she would be able to avoid Nathan._

_When she arrived at school she had immediately sensed a strange atmosphere among a lot of the students._

_The girls appeared to be looking at her with what could only be described as outright envy and the boys seemed to be showing a lot more interest in checking her out than they had previously._

_There were a lot of whispers as she walked down the hall and she almost started to wonder if she had accidentally stepped into the twilight zone._

_Deciding that it was probably all due to one of the students deciding to start a rumour that she was really a man or some such nonsense she didn't pay any further attention to the stares and whispers she was attracting._

_However when she entered the teacher's lounge and found herself confronted with similar behaviour she started to worry._

_Her old history teacher Mrs Jamison was smiling at her and as she walked by her on the way to her desk she received the shock of her life._

_"Congratulations Haley._

_I always thought it was such a shame when the two of you broke up._

_Even in High School it was obvious that the two of you were perfect for each other."_

_Haley stared at her in disbelief._

_**This could not be happening.**_

_But glancing around the room she felt her worst fears being confirmed._

_Quite a few of the older teachers were beaming at her with pride and she could have sworn that she even heard whispers about the joys of young love._

_The younger teachers well the single females at any rate were staring at her as if she personally had just destroyed any chance of future happiness that they had._

_Which in some of their cases they probably honestly believed._

_It seemed as if every pair of eyes were fastened on her as she stood in the middle of the room and she wondered what on earth she was supposed to do._

_At that moment Haley heard the door open abruptly followed by Nathan entering._

_"There you are Hales._

_Why didn't you wait for me?_

_We could have driven together."_

_Haley stared at him._

_**What is he doing? **_

_**Why isn't he telling them all that this is just some big misunderstanding?**_

_He stepped up beside her sliding his arm around her waist._

_At that moment the bell rang and seemed to break whatever spell they were all under._

_The staff started gathering their necessary materials for their first period class and quickly slurping down the remains of their coffee before heading out the door._

_Nathan remained where he was his arm still resting around her waist._

_Haley tried to move away from his grasp but he tightened his hold keeping her there beside him._

_"Looks like word spreads quickly in a town this size." Nathan said with a cocky grin._

_"Oh well guess that just means that you and I are going to have to play the role of happy couple here too."_

**_End flashback_**

The rest of the week up until now had passed agonisingly slowly for Haley.

It seemed everywhere she turned Nathan was there or one of her colleagues was waiting to corner her in the hope that they would be the one that Haley decided to take into her confidence and spill the details of her reunion with Nathan.

Haley honestly didn't know how much more she could take.

Just last night she had been shoe shopping and had been stopped by an eager sales assistant who she had never seen before in her life and told how wonderful it was that she and Nathan had gotten back together.

Apparently the woman's daughter was going out with one of the players from Nathan's basketball team.

Haley had simply muttered some gracious sounding response and beat a hasty retreat from the store.

As if it wasn't bad enough having Deb and Brooke hounding her all the time and trying to put on an act of being happily back with Nathan all day at work now she was being stopped in stores by complete strangers.

The week's events had slowly turned from the sublime to the ridiculous.

The only place it seemed she could drop the act and simply be herself was when she got home at night.

Locking herself away in the confines of her own house she could take the phone off the hook and pretend that her life was not one huge mess.

Coming out of her thoughts she looked around the teachers lounge at all the eager faces who had looked up as soon as she arrived.

She couldn't help but wonder when they were going to find something new to gossip about and forget all about her and her faux relationship with Nathan.

Apparently today was not going to be that day.

"Morning Haley." One of the science teachers not much older than her called in greeting.

Haley manufactured a smile and returned her greeting.

"So where's that gorgeous man of yours." She continued as soon as the required pleasantries were done with.

"You know its really too bad you got to him first.

I would give just about anything to swap places with you."

Haley had to bite down on her lip to stop the automatic biting response that came to the tip of her tongue hearing Janet's words.

How she wished she could tell her that _her_ 'gorgeous man' was back in Chicago where he had always been.

Nathan's arrogant voice rang out breaking her out of her daydream.

"Did I hear someone talking about me?"

Janet giggled like a self-conscious schoolgirl as Nathan looked at her.

"Oh Nathan I didn't realise you were here."

Nathan smirked "don't worry about it.

Sorry to say Janet but I'm a one-woman man and Haley has definitely laid claim to me.

Well for the moment at least.

Isn't that right Hales?"

Haley looked at him as he came to stand in front of her his arms automatically pulling her into his embrace.

"Oh trust me Nathan she's welcome to you as is any other woman desperate enough to put up with your shit," she hissed in his ear so that only he could hear.

"Nice try Hales," he whispered back "but we both know you don't really feel that way don't we?"

"Don't be so sure," she muttered pulling herself back out of his arms.

"Oh Haley," Janet said smiling reassuringly "you know none of us would ever dream of coming between you two.

You're obviously perfect for each other."

"Yeah we are aren't we?" Nathan said getting far too much pleasure out of Haley's discomfort.

She tried to keep her tone as neutral as possible as she turned back towards him but he could hear the edge in her voice and smirked in recognition.

"I have to get to class.

I'll see you later."

As she walked away from him he casually squeezed her ass as if it were the most natural thing in the world to be doing.

"Bye gorgeous," Nathan called after her.

"I'll miss you."

"Wait." He called coming after her.

_What now?_ she wondered.

"Don't I get a kiss before you go."

Keeping her lips pressed tightly together she submitted to his kiss gratified that it was swift and perfunctory.

Just as she started to relax though he took advantage of the fact that they were blocked from everyone else's view by his broad shoulders and lightly traced his tongue around the outline of her lips.

She gasped reflexively and he smirked momentarily before claiming her lips once again and allowing his tongue to slide seductively around the inside of her mouth.

When he finally pulled away she was mortified not just because he had just kissed her like that in the middle of the teachers lounge but that she hadn't stopped him and what was worse she hadn't even wanted to stop him.

"See what I mean," she heard Janet speaking to another teacher "absolutely perfect for each other."

Hearing these words provided Haley with just the impetus she needed to break away from Nathan and head towards the door.

As she reached it though she was halted once again by Nathan's voice.

"See you soon gorgeous."

The temptation to slam the door behind her was huge as she left the room but somehow she ignored it.

_Just remember you just have to get through the day and then you can go home and get away from all this bullshit_.

Haley somehow managed to avoid him for the rest of the day although it wasn't easy.

Basically every time she caught a glimpse of him she would practically sprint in the opposite direction pretending to be on some urgent mission that required her immediate attention.

By the time the end of the day came around she was exhausted but at least she knew she didn't have to worry about Nathan cornering her after school.

It was common knowledge that basketball practice was held on Wednesday nights so there was no need for concern that he might be waiting to corner her again.

That said she was still relieved when she was able to reach her car unimpeded.

She drove home and after making herself a snack sat down to do some marking.

She was really disappointed with the standard of work that had been turned in thus far apart from the essay from Kelly in her freshman English class.

She had obviously put time and thought into her work two commodities that appeared to be sadly lacking in what she had received from Kelly's fellow classmates.

_They could all benefit from acquiring a work ethic like hers_ she thought to herself.

_But I guess there's not much chance of that happening._

She worked solidly for the next hour or so pausing only briefly to get another drink from the fridge.

Finally nearing the end of the large pile that she had originally begun with she stretched out her cramped muscles.

With a start she realised that it was already starting to get dark and it was a lot later than she thought.

Standing up she went to the nearest wall to flip a light switch.

As she flipped it nothing happened and puzzled she tried again.

Hearing a strange click come from behind her she turned to see that the clock on the oven was blank.

_Oh great. The street must be having a blackout_.

Looking out the window though she could see lights on in most houses in her street.

She wondered if perhaps a fuse had blown but didn't even know where the box was to go and check.

Extremely annoyed she stalked out to the garage entering through the small back door hoping to find it there.

Unfortunately though in the dim interior of the garage she was unable to ascertain where the fuse box was.

_This is ridiculous_ she said to herself _it's a brand new house. _

_How can the power just go off?_

Going back inside she looked uneasily around her, as it grew increasingly darker.

She didn't like the idea of staying here alone with no power and the house still unfamiliar.

She tried to tell herself that she was just being silly but the truth was she had never been a big fan of staying somewhere alone and the fact that the power was off just made things ten times worse.

_I just can't do it_ she said to herself.

Picking up the cordless phone she dialled the number hoping that she had remembered it correctly.

Hearing Brooke's bubbly voice answer at the other end she heaved a sigh of relief.

"Oh Tigger thank goodness you're there."

"Haley?" Brooke asked incredulously clearly surprised to be getting a call from her.

She heard the sound of some scuffling in the background and wondered what was going on but before she could ask, Brooke asked a question of her own.

"So what can I do for you Tutor Girl?

Do you want to go out to lunch again this weekend?"

"No Tigger, I've actually got a bit of a problem."

"Ooh" Brooke said her interest instantly perking.

"Has something happened with you and Nathan?"

"No," Haley answered emphatically.

"Sorry I was only asking." Brooke said defensively.

"I know Tigger I'm sorry but I've just had one of those days and now to top it all off my electricity's gone off at my house and I'm sitting here in the dark."

"Ok," Brooke said uncertainly clearly not understanding how she fit into this equation.

"So did you want the name of an electrician?"

"Well that would be good," Haley continued "but that wasn't actually why I was phoning you."

"I was actually wondering if it would be possible for me to crash at your house tonight?

I don't really want to stay here alone with no power."

"Oh," Brooke said finally understanding why she was calling.

"Oh," she said again less enthusiastically.

"You know Tutor Girl normally that wouldn't be a problem but its sort of a bad time I've actually got a whole heap of family staying at the moment.

I don't even have a sofa I can offer you for the night."

"Oh don't worry about it Tigger, it's fine I'm sure I can stay at a hotel for the night." She rushed on breezily trying not to let on how disappointed she truly was.

She wasn't much of a fan of staying in hotels she found them far too impersonal.

"Hang on a minute Haley," Brooke said and she could hear the sound of muffled voices and knew Brooke had placed her hand over the receiver while she was most likely telling Lucas of her predicament.

She waited hopefully, praying that Lucas would come up with some solution that did not involve spending the night in a hotel.

Suddenly an all too familiar voice spoke in her ear.

"Hey gorgeous Brooke told me what's going on.

Go and pack a bag and I'll be there in ten minutes to pick you up."

"Pick me up. What?" she stammered wondering what on earth he was talking about.

"You heard me.

Now go and pack like I said."

"Nathan I am not going to do anything of the sort.

Brooke hasn't got any room at her place at the moment and besides I have my own car.

Why would I need you to come and pick me up?"

Nathan sighed as if she was being deliberately obtuse.

"Yes you have your own car Haley which if I know you is currently parked in your garage."

"Of course it's parked in my garage," she said wondering where he was going with this ridiculous conversation.

"Parked in your garage with the electric door opening device." He stated clearly enjoying the fact that she had not realised this herself.

"Oh," she replied in a small voice feeling stupid that she had not thought of that earlier.

"And as for the other matter," he continued "Brooke and Lucas may not have any space but I certainly do."

"You have got to be kidding?" Haley spluttered clearly not believing her own ears.

"As if I'm going to come and stay with you?"

"Argue all you want Haley but like I said I'll be there in ten minutes to pick you up so I suggest you go and pack.

"One way or another Haley you will be coming home with me tonight."

He hung up then and Haley threw the phone across the room in a fit of pique.

She had been out of his life for five years and was an independent 23 year old woman and yet he still seemed to think that he could control her and the worst part was she let him because in all the time that she had known him she had always found him damn near impossible to refuse anything.

_There has got to be some other way._

_I know when he gets here I'll just insist he takes me to a hotel for the night._

_It's time he realised that I'm not some little girl that he can just boss around._

Feeling strong now in her resolve of how she would handle the situation she went upstairs to pack.

Literally five minutes later she heard the sound of a car's tyres crunching over the gravel in her drive and knew that he had arrived.

Stuffing the last of her necessities into an over night bag she went downstairs to let him in.

Eying the small bag clutched in her hand he grinned.

"Travelling light Hales that's what I like to see."

Holding the bag to her chest defensively she replied.

"Well it is only for one night."

"Shall we go?" he asked holding the door open so that she would precede him out.

He probably didn't trust her not to freak out and wait till he was out the door and lock it behind him.

Locking herself in and him out.

She walked out and stood at the passenger door of his SUV waiting for him.

"Get in" he said shortly "its open."

Climbing in she waited until he sat behind the wheel and then as he pulled out of the drive spoke as nonchalantly as she could.

"If you could just drop me at the nearest hotel, I would really appreciate it."

Nathan looked at her sideways but didn't respond.

Instead he turned down the road that led to the beach.

Haley knew the road well and unless things had changed a lot in the last five years knew that there were no hotels down here.

Recognising the driveway that he was turning into she rounded on him.

"Nathan what are you doing?

I asked you to take me to a hotel not your parents beach house."

He looked at her waiting patiently for her to finish her rant.

"Actually Hales it's my beach house now."

Haley looked at him before replying.

"Well good for you Nathan, now will you please take me to the hotel."

"Haley I told you on the phone that you would be coming to stay with me and that is exactly what is happening."

Haley could feel her temper building and decided now was as good a time as any to let it rip.

"Are you insane?" she yelled.

"There is no way in hell that I am staying here with you.

Now either drive me to the hotel or I'll call a cab and go myself."

"I don't think you'll do that Haley." Nathan said seemingly unfazed by her display of anger.

"Oh really," she said "and why is that?"

"Well don't you think that would be kind of hard to explain to my mom?

Why the newly reunited couple aren't staying together when you're having problems with your wiring?"

"Nathan I really don't see why your mother has to know anything about this.

It's just for one night.

Surely we can keep it from the Tree Hill gossips for that long."

Nathan's eyes were focused on the front door of his house as he spoke.

"Yeah well unfortunately for you it's a bit late to be trying not to let my mom know about this."

Haley felt an overwhelming sense of dread building deep within her.

_Please don't let him say what I think he's about to say._

"Didn't I tell you?

She's staying with me for the next couple of weeks while their house has some remodelling done."

_Damn it._

Haley stared at him in shock she could almost predict exactly what his next words were going to be.

"Yeah I called her while I was on my way to collect you to let her know that we were going to be having an extra houseguest.

Needless to say she was thrilled."

His attention was still focused on the front door of the house and as much as she didn't want to look Haley felt her own gaze being dragged there as if some large magnet was pulling her eyes in that direction.

To her horror she found Deb standing on the step grinning broadly at them.

"Oh god no." Haley muttered, "This cannot be happening."

"Oh one other thing Hales before I forget since you and I are the quintessential happy couple we're going to be sharing a bedroom while you're staying here.

Unless of course you want to explain to my mother how it was all just a big lie?"

"Well" said Nathan turning to face her with a broad smirk covering his face "shall we go in?

I think my mom is waiting for us."

_Oh god I swear if it's the last thing I do I will kill him for this._

**Spoilers Nathan finds out that Haley bites. What will happen when they are forced to share a bed for the night? Nathan ups the stakes significantly in their battle.**

**A.N Ok guys heres the deal at the moment. I'm actually going away for about two weeks to Spain, Italy and Scotland in about a week's time so what I want to try and do is give you as many updates between now and then as I can. So please try and get your reviews into me nice and quickly because the sooner I get some reviews and know that people have had a chance to read it the sooner I'll update again. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**


	12. Haley Bites Back

**A.N You guys so rock with the reviews you have been sending me. Sorry I didn't update over the weekend but spent most of my time reading A Womans Worth by kaos2405. It had me hooked so I did very little towards my own stories. If you haven't done so already check it out. It has me one of the biggest Naley fans ever completely obsessed and its a total Brucas. Also just want to thank everyone who wished me well on my trip. I'm sure I'll have heaps of fun and if I can really get going this week and do some serious writing I might even be able to post some updates while I'm away. I know I'm getting a bit obsessive but I'm loving writing this story and it seems you are all enjoying reading it so the thought of going two weeks without posting an update is too much for me. Anyway heres the latest chapter. Can't wait to hear what you all think of it. You know what to do if you want another update. If not I'll give you a hint, it involves a little blue GO button at the bottom left of your screen. Enjoy.**

**unfolddream** I was pleased to hear that you enjoyed the lastchapter as well. This chapter was a lot of fun to write so I hope it measures up to expectations. I love writing Nathan so cocky and self assured. It makes for some fun scenes with him and Haley. Thanx for the review.

**TinyDancer7** Nathan has been so much fun to write in this story so far. Although he probably does get a little too much enjoyment out of Haley's discomfort but like you said she has brought it on herself a bit. Deb is definitely going to make things very interesting in the Scott household and there is no doubt Nathan is going to take advantage of every opportunity having his mom there offers. Poor Haley doesn't have any clue what she is getting herself into. ALthough by the end of this chapter I think she will have a much better idea of how her life's going to be in the near future. I'm glad you enjoyed their kiss but I think you are going to find its not only what occurs when they're sharing a bed that adds interest to this chapter. What fun would it be if I restricted all their action to the bed. I promise you its going to kill me too not being able to update for a couple of weeks but I'm sure the time will fly and believe me I'm definitely in need of a break from work and all its dramas. Look forward to hearing what you think of this chapter.

**Jenna** Yay you're back. I'm glad to hear that you are still enjoying the story and finding it unique compared to some of the other stories on the site. I do try my best to make my stories at least a little bit different to all the others and I really love hearing from someone that they appreciate that aspect of my writing. Thanx for the suggestions of what I should allow to happen in Chapter Fourteen but I actually had an offer of assistance from TinyDancer7 before I got this review from you so actually had her help me with it. Thanx for the complimentary review and I hope you continue to write and tell me what you like and don't like about this story.

**Cap'n Keira Sparrow** I was glad to hear that you are continuing to enjoy the story. Nathan is definitely one to take advantage of any opportunities that present themselves in this story. I think I can forgive you this time for not leaving a longer review as long as you don't let it happen again. LOL. No just kidding like I've said before I just really appreciate people taking the time to review at all. I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations and I'll look forward to hearing what you think about it. Thanx for the review.

**hesfadedme** Well your review was the perfect proof that reviews of any size are always welcomed by me. It was one word and it still managed to bring a smile to my face. I was looking back at some of the reviews I got from you for Giving In To Desires and it seems you found that story pretty scandalous too so I hope you feel scandal is a good element to be introducing into One Tree Hill fan fiction. Thanx for the review.

**miranda09 **Hey I'm always so happy to get a review from someone new saying they are enjoying the story. I hope you continue to read and review it and hopefully I can continue to make it enjoyable for you. Thanx so much for your review.

**MeSpikeAndAngelinA3sum** Hi Nats its great to hear that you're still enjoying this story. Yes Nathan certainly doesn't give up easily when he decides he wants something. I hope you find the whole sharing a bed incident entertaining but I can assure you that thats just the beginning of the Naley action in this chapter. Let me know what you think of this latest chapter.

**doodlebah **I think you can be rest assured that I will be continuing to put Haley into awkward situations with Nathan although you will start to see a bit of a change in the story's direction in later chapters although no less entertaining I hope. Hope you continue to enjoy it and let me know what you think.

**kaos2405 **I know I didn't get an actual review from you for this chapter but considering all the emailing we've been doing back and forth lately I figured I still owed you a response to your thoughts on the story so far. Having read your story over the weekend it gives me so much more of a buzz getting such positive reviews from you when you are such an amazing writer yourself. Thanks so much for everything you have said so far and I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

**Chapter Thirteen**

Sitting there trying to make polite conversation with Deb was proving harder than Haley could have possibly imagined.

The situation not being helped by her constant awareness of Nathan and every move he made.

For some reason it seemed her every sense was attuned to him and she was instantly aware every time he made the simplest movement, she even found herself listening to him breathe and inhaling the scent of that familiar after shave from across the room.

She honestly didn't know how she was going to survive this night, staying here in his house, trying to pretend to his mother that they were once again a couple.

"Haley sweetie," Deb interrupted.

Haley could tell by the tone of her voice that this was not the first time she had tried to get her attention.

"What?

Oh sorry Deb, I was a million miles away," she apologised profusely hoping that Deb would not ask what it was that had her so distracted.

"That's ok.

You poor thing you look absolutely exhausted.

Why don't you head up to bed and we'll talk more later?"

Haley was instantly aware of Nathan's interest perking as he sat up straighter with an animalistic grin on his face.

"Yeah Hales I'm pretty tired too.

Why don't we both head up to bed?"

"No its fine Nathan.

Honestly I'm not that tired."

Nathan's smirk actually grew if that was indeed possible.

"Even better then.

No one said we had to sleep."

"Nathan," Deb playfully admonished him.

"I'm still your mother I really don't need to know what the two of you have got planned for the night."

Haley's face turned beet red as she listened to the conversation between mother and son.

Deciding she needed to put a stop to it as soon as possible she turned towards Deb.

"Actually I was thinking you and I could stay up and talk a bit longer," she said hoping the desperation was not too obvious in her voice.

She needed to put off that inevitable journey to Nathan's room as long as possible.

"Oh Haley don't be silly.

You don't have to humour me.

The two of you are young and in love.

I'm certain the last thing you want to be doing with your evening is sitting here talking to me."

Haley tried to interject to tell her that she honestly didn't mind but Nathan came to stand in front of her chair.

"Mom's right Hales.

I think it's time you and I said goodnight."

Grabbing her hand in his he pulled her from the seat.

Haley found herself in a no win situation.

If she protested Deb was going to suspect that there was something going on but if she allowed Nathan to take her upstairs…. well she didn't even want to think of what would happen up there in the confines of his bedroom.

Sensing her hesitation he picked her up throwing her over his shoulder and smacking her ass playfully.

"Night mom, hope you manage to get more sleep then I'm planning to."

Deb laughed at her son's enthusiasm.

"I'll see you two in the morning.

Can you do me one favour though, try not to make too much noise."

"Hear that Hales you're going to have to try to keep your screams of passion to a minimum."

Haley was mortified and was actually glad for the moment that her face wasn't visible to Deb.

As soon as they left the room she beat her fists against Nathan's back.

"Put me down," she hissed "NOW".

But Nathan continued to carry on up the stairs as if she hadn't spoken.

She persisted in beating her small fists against his back but it was to no avail.

Opening the door to a room he stepped inside swiftly depositing her on a king size bed.

"What the hell do you think you are playing at?" she seethed.

"What?" he asked shrugging innocently.

She was so furious that she could barely speak.

Pushing herself up off the bed she grabbed her bag that Nathan had brought up earlier and stormed into the bathroom slamming the door behind her.

She could hear Nathan's mocking laughter following her and once again wondered how the hell she was going to get through this night.

She remained in there for at least ten minutes getting herself back under control before she had to face him again.

Looking through the overnight bag she had brought with her she grimaced as she realised that her packing although fine for a night spent locked away in hotel room alone was not exactly appropriate for a night spent in Nathan's company especially in his bed.

Looking with distaste at the camisole style top and French knickers she had packed she wondered if there was any possible way that could commandeer one of Nathan's t-shirts for the night.

Although she had no particular wish to be wearing his clothes, which would indicate an intimacy that wasn't there, she knew that at least it would leave her less exposed to his view and even worse his hands.

She had spent enough time in the same bed as Nathan Scott to know exactly how much his hands tended to wander during the night and she was scared that if he were to try something that she would not be able to say no to him or even worse she might encourage him.

Finally gathering her courage she walked confidently back into the room.

She could feel Nathan's eyes on her as she walked towards the bed where he lay covered only from the waist down, his bare chest on full display.

Eying her choice of attire for the night he whistled appreciatively.

"Damn Hales you look good enough to eat."

His smirk leaving her in no doubt exactly what he meant by that comment.

She stopped dead seriously doubting that she could go through with this.

"Come on Hales." Nathan said patting the empty space on the bed beside him "I've left you plenty of space."

Haley met his eyes for the first time since she had entered the room and was stunned at the carnal desire she could see burning there.

At that moment she wanted nothing more than to run screaming from that room because seeing that look in his eye had stirred similar feelings within her and she was terrified of just where those feelings might lead her.

Somehow she forced herself to continue to walk towards the bed finally reaching it and slipping under the covers with her back to Nathan lying as far away as possible from him.

Nathan could see the tension in her spine and remembering what had happened a few days ago in the school parking lot he stroked his fingers down her back waiting to see her reaction to his touch.

"Relax Hales, I don't bite."

Smirking to himself he continued.

"Unless maybe that's what you like these days because in that case I could definitely be persuaded to give it a try."

Haley tried to move away from his hand that was continuing to stroke up and down her back and was lulling her into a feeling of peace.

She tried to move further away from him in the bed but there was nowhere for her to go unless she wanted to end up on the floor.

Nathan noticed her frantic attempts to create some distance between them and started to laugh at her.

"What's the matter Hales, things getting a bit too hot for you?"

She ignored his words lying deadly still hoping that he would get the message and leave her alone.

"Oh Haley I'm disappointed in you.

Does this mean you don't want to play?"

She continued to remain silent.

"Oh well," Nathan said.

"That's your loss because I know you remember just as well as I do just how much fun we used to have in this very bed."

Haley grimaced that was exactly the problem she could remember only too well the nights they had spent in this bed and it was almost too much for her to bear.

Nathan's hand finally moved away from her back and she allowed herself to relax slightly listening for the change in his breathing that would indicate he had fallen asleep.

She knew she would not be able to sleep herself until she was certain that he was no longer a threat.

Nathan lay watching her knowing that if he really wanted to that it would be all too easy for him to get Haley to give in to her desire for him.

He knew that it was still present in her although she probably wasn't even aware of it herself, he had seen it in her eyes when she had looked at him on a couple of occasions and he knew it would only be a matter of time until she gave into her urges and that was how it was going to have to happen.

She would have to decide that she wanted it as much as he did.

Because afterwards he didn't want to hear any claims of him making her do anything against her will he wanted her to give in to him willingly and in the meantime well he could continue to play with her.

Making sure she never forgot exactly how much chemistry the two of them shared.

Confident in the knowledge that it would happen sooner or later Nathan allowed sleep to overtake his body.

Tomorrow he would continue his plan to get his revenge on Haley.

Haley finally relaxed as she heard the tempo of his breathing change indicating that he had at last fallen asleep.

She was so glad that he had finally fallen asleep.

She was exhausted and desperately in need of sleep herself.

Giving into it she drifted off to sleep glad that this ordeal would be over tomorrow.

Hours later she woke up feeling wonderful.

_Wow I must have slept well. _

_I can't remember the last time I woke up feeling this good._

She lay there with her eyes shut a bit longer not wanting this wonderful feeling to end.

Eventually she opened her eyes and realised that the pillow she had been getting such enjoyment out of was actually Nathan's chest.

With a start she became aware that sometime during the night she had made her way over to where Nathan slept practically wrapping herself around him.

_Please, please, please don't let him be awake_ she thought as she lifted her head hoping against hope that she would not be confronted with his smirking face looking down at her.

Her relief was palpable as she saw his eyes still closed apparently still in the depths of sleep.

His arm was wrapped loosely around her holding her in place so as carefully as she could she attempted to slip out from under it.

She could hardly believe her luck a few moments later when she was free and there had been no movement from him.

Quickly gathering what she needed she headed into the bathroom for a shower to prepare herself for another day at Tree Hill High.

As the bathroom door closed Nathan cracked an eye open smiling to himself at what had just occurred.

He had woken not long before Haley and to his delight had found her in his arms.

He had lain there for a few minutes enjoying the familiar sensation of her body pressed up so closely against his.

Sensing her beginning to stir he had closed his eyes feigning sleep interested to find out what she would do when she discovered what she had done while she was sleeping.

Looking at the door she had just departed through he smiled.

_See Haley even in your sleep you can't keep away from me. _

_Maybe its time to find out how you react to some extra temptation_.

Haley relished the feel of the warm water cascading down her back soothing all of her anxieties.

She could hardly believe what had happened while she was sleeping and was very glad that Nathan had not been awake to witness the way she had been snuggled up so closely to him.

Lathering up her hair with shampoo she was unaware of the extra presence joining her in the bathroom nor the fact that the door to the shower had been opened.

Rinsing out her hair she opened her eyes and was confronted by the sight of a totally naked Nathan standing in front of her.

"Hey Hales thought you might be able to use some help washing those hard to reach places."

She stared at him in shock.

Just when she thought he could not possibly surprise her anymore he went and pulled a stunt like this.

"Nathan get out." She demanded.

"Come on Hales don't you think it seems kind of silly to waste water on two showers.

I mean its not like I've never seen you naked before.

Although I have to say if it's possible you actually look better now than you did then." He told her taking his time appraising her naked body.

He stepped further into the shower closing the door behind him bringing him into closer proximity with her naked body.

"Don't you think its time you stop lying to yourself Hales and admit that you want me just like I want you."

His words seemed to be casting some sort of spell over her and she felt powerless to fight the pull between them.

He reached out placing a hand on her hip.

Ducking his head down he spoke into her ear.

"I'll wash your back if you wash mine."

His lips moved away from her ear finding their way down to her neck where he started kissing the sensitive skin right in the place that he knew had always driven her crazy.

He heard the sharp intake of her breath as the warm water pounded down on their bodies.

Sliding his hands around he cupped her ass lifting her up slightly and pressing her against the wall of the shower his own body holding her in place.

He felt her hands coming around to his back stroking his slick skin tentatively at first before becoming bolder and dragging her nails down over his buttocks.

She could feel his length stirring against her and felt her own excitement growing in response.

Pressing her face into his shoulder she bit down slightly trying to stifle the sensations he was stirring in her as his mouth left her neck and came down to her breast.

His tongue lathed at her nipple before taking it into his mouth and sucking at it gently.

Just as Haley realised she had reached the point of no return they were both shocked out of their ardour by a burst of cold water raining down on them.

Nathan pulled back from her, impatiently finding the taps to turn off the water.

But unfortunately for him as he attempted to continue where he had left off Haley regained her senses.

"Nathan, I can't." she pushed feebly at his shoulders creating enough distance between their bodies so that she could slip out of the shower she grabbed a fluffy towel from the rack and wrapped it firmly around her body.

"Haley," he groaned in frustration.

"You can't be serious.

Surely you're not going to go that far and then just stop."

She couldn't look at him or she knew she would lose what little self-control she had left.

"Nathan, I'm sorry.

That was a mistake.

I won't let it happen again."

Turning on her heel she left the bathroom leaving him to try and get himself together before he had to face his mother at breakfast.

Dressing quickly she went downstairs and found Deb bustling around cooking breakfast.

Nathan remained where he was for a few minutes.

_There is no way I'm going to let you get away that easily._

Pulling on some clothes himself he went downstairs spotting Haley across the room he walked up behind her wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her lightly on the neck.

"Morning mom," he said.

"Morning sweetie," she responded.

He slipped a hand underneath Haley's t-shirt brushing his fingers lightly across her stomach.

"Nathan, stop it." Haley protested.

"Oh Haley," Deb said, "don't let me get in your way just carry on as if I'm not even here."

"Well in that case" Nathan said turning Haley around so that her backwas against the counter "how about a proper good morning kiss?"

Deb started laughing at his eagerness.

"Nathan I didn't mean it like that.

Don't get too carried away."

Nathan stepped back slightly but kept Haley pinned between his body and the counter for a little bit longer.

"I think we should have some breakfast," Haley suggested

"I need to get to school soon."

Nathan resisted for a moment as she pushed at his chest enjoying the feel of her tiny hands on his chest.

He could see the look of frustration in her eyes as he refused to budge.

"I'm not moving Hales until you ask me nicely." He told her mockingly.

Although Deb was across the room apparently absorbed in watching the toast cook Haley knew that she was in fact listening to every word that they were saying.

Swallowing her urge to use her knee against a rather sensitive area of his body she summoned up the required words.

"Nathan can you please move?

I want to have some breakfast so I can get to school."

Nathan smirked down at her.

"Of course I'll move Hales but I'm still waiting for that good morning kiss."

He leaned his head down towards her and she tilted her own up accommodatingly.

Nathan looked at herslightly surprised that she was not arguing.

As he captured her lips she automatically opened her mouth allowing him to run his tongue over her lips before entering her mouth more fully.

As his tongue caressed hers he could feel himself starting to stir again.

He didn't know what it was about her but she could turn him on like no one else ever had.

Haley waited till he was completely caught up in their kiss and then without the slightest warning of her plans she deliberately bit down on his tongue.

She was rewarded by his yelp of pain as he pulled back immediately.

"Nathan," Deb's voice called from across the kitchen "are you alright."

"I'm fine mom." He said tightly staring at Haley in complete disbelief.

Finally free from his body she walked casually across the room and sat down with her bowl of cereal fighting to restrain her urge to laugh at the wounded look on Nathan's face.

The problem was though that she knew that there would be retaliation at some point and she dreaded to think what he might try next.

She took her time over breakfast hoping to delay the inevitability of their drive to school for as long as possible.

Eventually though she had to finish.

One bowl of cereal could only last so long.

Saying a quick goodbye to Deb she turned to Nathan suggesting they get going or they would be late.

Sitting in the car next to him she could feel her nerves humming and could almost hear her heart pounding.

When she had first got the idea of biting him she had thought that it was a stroke of genius and might just remind him that he couldn't just do whatever he pleased.

Now though she was starting to regret her rather impulsive action because she knew Nathan and there was no way he would let such an incident go unpunished.

But as the drive continued he remained silent and Haley found herself getting more and more scared about just what he could be planning even as she sat there next to him.

When they reached school she walked down the hallway nervously beside him listening as students around them began to whisper about them as they passed.

They had almost reached the teachers lounge and Haley was finally starting to relax when Nathan suddenly turned grabbing her in full view of the students loitering in the hall and even a few of the other teachers who were making their own way towards the lounge and dragged her into the supply closet.

"Nathan let go of me.

Everyone is going to see us."

Nathan grinned at her.

"That's exactly right Haley.

They are going to see us.

See I would never deliberately physically hurt you but that doesn't mean that there aren't other ways that I can get at you."

Haley stared at him in shock wondering what he was talking about.

"See I know you Haley and I know that the one thing you worry about above everything else is what other people think of you.

What do you suppose they're making of the fact that you and I are in here together?"

As he spoke he had retained hold of her arm making sure she could not leave until enough time had passed that the people who had witnessed their entry would have no option but to jump to the inevitable conclusion of exactly what they were doing in here.

Feeling that enough time had passed he reached out running his hand through her hair.

He brushed his fingers across her lips smearing her lipstick.

"May as well make it believable hey Hales."

"Nathan what the hell is wrong with you?

This isn't just some game this is my career you're messing with."

He looked at her convinced that she was overreacting.

"Do you have any idea what Mr Logan is going to think if this gets back to him.

I could lose my job.

I know you don't have to worry being that you're such great friends and all but we don't all have that luxury."

Nathan tried to break into her rant but she was far too fired up.

"Why can't you just leave me alone Nathan?" she screamed at him advancing towards him.

"I don't understand why you're doing this."

As she continued to yell he felt something inside of him snap.

"It's simple Haley.

The reason I'm doing this is because I CAN."

Haley listened to those words escape his lips hardly able to believe her own ears.

Raising her hand up she sent her hand careening towards his face in a stinging slap.

After it hit she stared up at him in shock scarcely able to believe what she had just done.

She couldn't believe that she had just hit him.

Looking up at him she prepared to apologise but before she could he grabbed her arm that she still held raised in front of her hauling her up against him and taking possession of her lips.

She kissed him back as all of her anger of a few moments ago wa sswept away in this tide of passion that he was unleashing inside of her.

Pushing her hands through his hair she clutched the back of his neck holding his face to hers never wanting to let him go.

Her tongue came to meet his each one of them fighting for domination over the other.

Neither one of them was prepared to let the other one have the upper hand.

Haley could feel a groan building low in her throat as one of his hands came down to her leg sliding underneath her skirt.

The other hand pulled roughly at the buttons on her shirt wanting to expose more of her skin to his hungry gaze and hot lips.

Her shirt fell open and he immediately pushed her bra up out of the way not wanting to waste any unnecessary energy fiddling with the clasp.

He bent his head sucking and biting at the sensitive skin and felt her arch her back in response.

Pulling back slightly he looked into her eyes, he could see an unspoken plea in her eyes, a plea not to stop, not to allow her to think.

But he needed to hear the words.

He needed to hear from her own lips just how much she wanted him.

"Say it," he ground out roughly.

Haley stared at him blankly.

"I want to hear you say it." He told her.

She looked at him the pleading still in her eyes but remained mute.

"Haley you want me as much as I want you right now don't you? He asked and for a moment she thought she heard a note of uncertainty in his voice.

That tiny waver in his voice was her undoing.

Looking up at him she still could not find the words to tell him how much she wanted this to happen.

"Yes," she choked out her voice coming out as no more than a whisper.

"I need more than that Hales.

You have to say the words."

She could feel his hand still at her hip rubbing relentlessly at the bare skin, the scratchy material of his shirt against her naked breasts.

"Yes Nathan, Oh god yes I want you." She told him breathlessly.

"Take me Nathan, Take me now."

His eyes lit up at her words and she watched as his lips came towards her again ready to claim her.

"That's all I needed to know," he breathed against her mouth "tonight we're going to finish this Hales and there are going to be no more excuses."

**Spoilers:- Haley gets bad news. A chat with Kelly forces Haley to re-evaluate her situation with Nathan. Nathan starts to show signs of his old self.**


	13. Dreams Of You

**A.N Alright everyone just want to make sure you've all had a chance to read Chapter 13 before you read this one. The author's note that was there has been replaced with another chapter and its one that you really need to read to understand what's to come in this chapter and the ones following it. I want to say a special thankyou to Amanda and Nats for their help with this chapter it was really appreciated. Well for the first time since I began this story I am actually going to give you two updates in one day. Take advantage of it because lets face it. It's not a common occurrence for me. Hope you like it. Even if you don't let me know so I know what I'm doing wrong.**

**Chapter Fourteen**

**OK for those of you who don't read the author's notes this is your last chance to go back and read chapter 13 before moving onto this one. I can assure you that its an integral chapter to this story and as an added incentive you will be missing out on some major Naley action if you don't read it. Don't say I didn't warn you.**

Half an hour later she sat staring blankly at the pile of marking in front of her that she hadn't finished the night before, but try as she might she could not focus on anything other than what had happened in that supply closet with Nathan.

As much as she hated to admit it she had told the truth in that supply closet with him.

She did still want him more than she could imagine ever wanting anyone else but that just wasn't enough anymore and the simple fact is that she has a fiancé who she loves.

She knew she was just going to have to work harder at controlling her feelings around him and with any luck by the time tonight came around she would be back in her own house safe in her own bed.

As if on cue she heard her cell phone start to ring and reached into her bag to grab it.

"Hello."

"Hi is that Haley James?"

"Yes this is Haley."

"Haley my name is Jimmy I'm an electrician.

Your boyfriend called me early this morning to ask me to take a look at your house."

"He's not my …." Haley started to interrupt but Jimmy continued to speak.

"He said you had a blackout last night."

"That's right," Haley concurred _well at least it seems that Nathan has done something helpful for a change._

"Well I've just finished taking a look and I'm afraid you've got a problem."

Haley felt her stomach plummet at his words.

_Please don't let him say that I'm going to have to spend another night away from my house._

"From what I've seen it looks as if you're going to need the whole house rewired."

"What?" Haley spluttered "but that's impossible it's a brand new house."

"Yes well apparently the contractor who did the wiring in the first place took a few shortcuts and now the whole lot is going to have to be replaced."

"Are you absolutely certain?" Haley asked desperately.

"Afraid so," Jimmy answered.

"Well it doesn't sound like I've got much choice then does it.

I guess I can stay away for another night."

_I got through last night surely I can survive one more._

"Miss you don't seem to understand this is not going to be fixed by tomorrow.

This is going to take at least a couple of weeks to fix."

Haley abruptly fell back into the chair that she had been pacing in front of.

"Two weeks," she choked.

"There's no way I'll be able to last for two weeks."

Realising that she had spoken out loud she rushed on.

"Ok well thanks for all your help Jimmy.

Keep me updated on how the work is going."

"No problems Haley, I'll speak to you in a couple of weeks."

Pushing the off button on her phone Haley had to fight the rising panic she could feel coursing through her body.

Two weeks of staying with Nathan, of sleeping in the same bed, of being with him almost constantly.

_How the hell am I going to get through this?_

The sound of the bell to end first period sounded and she pushed aside her thoughts as she gathered up her books for her next class.

Within minutes of her leaving Nathan entered the teachers lounge where he would spend the next period while he didn't have a class.

Looking around to ascertain that she was definitely already gone he pulled out his cell phone punching in some numbers that he had written of a piece of paper.

Hearing a response at the other end he launched into speech without bothering with any small talk.

"Hey Jimmy, its Nathan Scott.

Just ringing to see if you did it yet?"

"Yeah no problem Coach I just spoke to her I've told her its going to take me at least a couple of weeks to fix it."

"Perfect," Nathan told him.

"I'll drop by that cheque for you later on."

"Sure thing coach.

If there's anything else you need me to do just let me know."

"Will do Jimmy.

Thanks a lot." Nathan said before hanging up.

_Things are going perfectly and tonight I'm finally going to have Haley again._

Yes he definitely had a lot to be happy with at the moment.

Haley on the other hand could not have been less happy with the way things were going at the moment.

She knew from her brief chat with Deb the night before that the remodelling of her house was going to be continuing for the next month or so.

Which meant that she was going to have to stay with Nathan for the entire time it took to have her wiring fixed and what was worse was now she was going to have to deal with the fact that Nathan knew how much she still wanted him and she could pretty much guarantee that he was going to hound her continuously for the next couple of weeks.

Looking up she saw that most of her class of juniors had finished the pop quiz she had set them and were now sitting staring at her inquisitively probably wondering what exactly had gone on in that supply closet this morning.

After another five minutes went by she heard the bell ring and asked the students to bring their papers up to her desk on their way out of the room.

After they departed she took her time wanting to take up as much time as possible before she left the room wanting to decrease her chances of running into Nathan again unless she had to.

Hearing a knock at the door she cringed.

_I should have known he would find me._

When she looked to the door though she was surprised to find Kelly from her freshman class standing nervously at the door.

"Kelly," she exclaimed in surprise "is there something I can do for you?

We don't have class today you know."

"Uh yeah I know," Kelly responded "but I was actually kind of hoping we could talk."

"Sure," Haley replied frantically searching her mind for some idea of what the nervous young girl could possibly need to speak to her about.

Gesturing to her to pull up a chair she settled herself back into her own chair.

"So what can I do for you Kelly?"

"You're probably going to think this is stupid." Kelly's first words came out in a breathless rush "but I've heard the rumours about you and Coach Scott and my Aunt Theresa went to school with you guys so I know a bit about what you were like back when you were my age."

Haley found herself having to listen closely in order to understand any of the torrent of words that were flowing so freely from Kelly's mouth.

"Ok" she said uncertainly wondering what sort of rumour she was going to have to correct this time.

"Well the thing is," Kelly, continued, "I was just wondering how did you get Coach Scott to fall for you?"

"You want to get Nathan to fall for you," Haley asked his real name slipping out in shock.

"I mean Coach Scott," she amended quickly.

Kelly was looking at her as if she had lost her mind.

"No of course not," she said and Haley couldn't hold back the sigh of relief that escaped her lips.

Then it occurred to her exactly where this conversation was leading.

"You want to know how to get Jason to fall for you don't you?" she asked knowingly.

Kelly blushed a deep red.

"How did you know that?" she asked "I mean is it that obvious?"

"Probably not to anyone else," Haley admitted quietly.

"Kelly perhaps first you should tell me why you think I can help you with this.

To be honest I'm not exactly known for my relationship expertise."

Kelly looked down for a moment staring at her hands contemplating the answer she would give.

"Its just that from what I've been told you were a lot like me when you were younger and Jason and Coach Scott are both kind of similar too."

Haley was stunned.

_Sure I've noticed certain similarities but I thought that was just me being melodramatic but if Kelly sees them too then maybe I was right._

"Ok," Haley answered again, "so what exactly is it that you think I can do for you?"

"Tell me what I'm doing wrong," Kelly answered self reproachfully.

"I don't know whether you've noticed," Kelly began "but he doesn't even seem to know that I exist.

I just want to know what I can do to get him to notice me."

Haley paused she still didn't really understand why Kelly had decided to confide in her about her feelings for Jason and was completely unsure what advice she could possibly offer.

Kelly noticed her hesitation and hurried on.

"Look I know this is probably really inappropriate of me to come here and ask you about this stuff but I've seen the way Coach Scott looks at you and I guess I just want to know how you originally got his attention."

She continued on obviously on a roll and not wanting to give up the momentum that she was gaining with each word.

"I mean I know he may not ever love me the way Coach Scott obviously loves you but I have to at least try.

Right?" she finished off uncertainly as Haley remained where she was enveloped in a stunned silence.

"Look Kelly I really don't know how much help I can actually be I mean you've obviously got the wrong idea about Coach Scott and I.

Yes we used to date and we are seeing each other again" Haley almost choked on the bitter lie she was being forced to tell "but Nathan is not in love with me."

She was so caught up in denying the young girls words that she wasn't even aware of the fact that she had referred to him much more personally than would be considered professional in front of a student.

"Oh," Kelly said clearly deflated from Haley's lack of response.

"Kelly to be perfectly honest with you if Jason is like Nathan then I would say that you can do better."

Haley looked at the young girl sitting across from her and immediately wished she could take back what she had said.

She could see the tears welling up in her eyes and was filled with remorse at how obviously upset Kelly was with her words.

"Kelly I'm sorry," she began but Kelly cut her off before she could say anymore.

"No I'm sorry I shouldn't have come here.

Thank you though for trying to spare my feelings.

I mean you obviously think that Jason would never be interested in a girl like me that's why you're trying to discourage me isn't it?"

Haley opened her mouth to answer but the words would not come.

She desperately wanted to tell Kelly that nothing could be further from the truth but she could not summon the words because if she did then she would have to admit that what she had just said about Nathan was also a lie.

She would be forced to admit to this fifteen year old girl that she still had feelings for Nathan and that there was still something between them after all this time and how could she possibly do that when she couldn't even admit it to herself.

Kelly looked so distraught and more than anything Haley wished that she could offer her some comfort but she knew that anything she said now would be false and Kelly was far too smart to not see through it.

She watched helplessly as Kelly gathered up her things and left the room despondently her head hanging down trying not to show the tears that were still present on her face.

After she left Haley laid her head down on her desk and managed just barely to hold back the tears that were forming in her own eyes.

Lately things had been so out of control in her life.

She had come close to destroying her relationship with Josh, she couldn't seem to work out what her feelings for Nathan were and now the wreckage that was her life was starting to seep over into other innocent people's lives and insidiously work to destroy them also.

Nathan was walking down the hallway on the way to the teachers lounge when he passed by the open classroom door.

As he ventured past he glanced in and was surprised to see Haley at the desk her head buried in her hands and although he knew most people would not notice anything amiss he could tell just from that brief glance that she was upset about something.

Silently he stood and debated his options he hated seeing Haley like this and if he had come across this scene five years ago he would not have hesitated to go in and comfort her but things were different now.

Remembering the last instance that he had seen her upset he hardened his heart against the overwhelming instinct to go and offer whatever comfort he could.

She was probably just upset about being away from Josh again and there was no way he was going to reassure her about that.

Taking one last look at her he walked away without Haley ever having been aware that he was there.

Haley looked up she had had the strangest sensation that someone was watching her but when she looked around there was no one there.

She swiped a hand across her face chasing away the few tears that had managed to escape her eyes and gathered her books pasting a brave smile on her face and headed off to class.

Surprisingly the rest of the day passed by very quickly and she was relieved when it ended and she could go home.

The only problem was of course that she couldn't go home the only place she would be going was Nathan's house.

She was dreading the ride home like she had dreaded few other things in her life.

She was sure Nathan was going to torment her about what had happened between them that morning and she could hardly forget the promise he had made to her about what would happen that night.

_What's wrong with me? _

_Why would I admit to him that I still want him?_

She had no answers to these questions though or at least none that she wanted to consciously admit to.

As she entered the teacher's lounge she saw him waiting for her his blue eyes watching her approach intently.

When she arrived in front of him he placed a hand on her back ushering her to where her belongings were.

"Come on," he said gruffly "I'll drop you home then I've got some things I need to take care of."

Haley did as he asked and followed him towards the car neither one of them speaking as they walked.

The drive home was also completed in silence and Haley for once found herself wishing that he would speak to her because all this silence was unsettling.

She wanted to try to make small talk anything to lighten the atmosphere inside the car but she could see by looking at his face that any attempts by her to start conversation would be unwelcome.

Ten minutes later they pulled into the drive but Nathan remained in the car not even bothering to turn the engine off.

"I'll see you later." He said as she exited driving off before she had a chance to reply.

For the next forty-five minutes he drove around aimlessly trying to figure out what was bothering him so much.

Eventually it dawned on him that recently he had been almost kidding himself into pretending that Josh didn't exist then when he had seen Haley so upset today it had appeared to be blatantly obvious that not only was there a Josh but she was still thinking about him.

He had to try to put this out of his mind, his plan was finally starting to go the way he had hoped and there was no way he could stop now.

As much as he hated seeing her like that it would be worth it in the end because she would finally understand how it had felt for him to have his world torn apart by her.

His resolve back in place he turned his car towards home.

_Tonight is going to be a very interesting night_.

After Nathan had drove away leaving her standing alone in the drive Haley had briefly debated the idea of turning and walking away too.

Her emotions were too raw at the moment to be able to deal with any heart to heart conversation with Deb and she had a feeling that that was exactly what the older woman had planned.

Deciding that she truly was not up to it at the moment she turned resolutely from the house and headed for the sandy beach removing her shoes as she went.

Sitting herself down on the sand she reflected on everything that had occurred that day.

But despite the rather dramatic circumstances that had occurred between her and Nathan before school that day the one thing her mind kept being drawn back to washer conversation with Kelly.

She could not get the devastated look the young girl had worn out of her head and was filled with guilt that it was her words that had caused it.

She honestly hadn't wanted to upset her like that but the whole situation between Kelly and Jason was hitting a little too close to home at the moment and in her desperation to convince herself that she had no feelings for Nathan she had quite possibly just destroyed any chance that Kelly and Jason might have of having a relationship.

Deciding that she had spent enough time dwelling on her day Haley picked up her shoes and bag from the sand and turned back towards the house.

As she approached it she heard her cell phone start to ring and pulled it out.

Looking at the caller ID she grimaced and then put her phone back into her bag without answering it.

"Who was that?" Nathan's voice questioned her as he joined her on the steps leading up to the deck.

"That's none of your business." Haley exclaimed turning to look at him.

"I see," Nathan said cyrptically "so it was Josh."

Haley's eyes widened as she realised just how easily he could still read her.

Normally she would have tried to deny his assumption but she could tell that it would be pointless.

"Well this is getting interesting," he continued as he realised she wasn't going to say anything.

"Now you've stopped answering his calls.

Does that mean that there's trouble in paradise?"

"It doesn't mean anything." she retorted turning away so he would not be able to read the truth in her eyes.

Because the truth was that she was confused as hell.

She had come to Tree Hill absolutely convinced that she had found the one that she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with and then Nathan had re-entered her life and now she didn't know what she wanted.

Nathan was no longer the boy he had once been.

The tenderness that had always been such a big part of their relationship had disappeared and in its place was this raw physical passion that she could not seem to resist and yet was that all he had to offer.

Because if it was no matter how much he turned her on she could not throw away someone who genuinely loved her to be with someone just because they could arouse her physically.

She needed more than that.

Nathan stood watching her he could see that she was doing some heavy thinking and was pretty certain that that did not bode well for him.

He reached his arm out wrapping it around her waist.

"Come on lets go inside."

Haley allowed herself to be led in and was relieved when Deb did not immediately appear.

Raising a hand to her head Haley rubbed at her throbbing temples.

The headache that had been brewing all afternoon had now hit with a vengeance and it felt like her head was going to explode.

"What's wrong with you Hales?" Nathan asked trying to sound as if her answer did not matter to him when in reality he was waiting anxiously to hear what had caused her pallour.

"Just a headache," she replied "I think I'm going to go and have a lay down."

"Do you want some company?" Nathan asked even though he knew what her answer would be.

As expected she answered negatively and he watched as she turned and walked up the stairs to his room.

Walking into the kitchen he looked in the cupboard for some paracetemol and filled a glass with water for her.

Carrying it upstairs he stopped in the doorway as he saw her lying on top of the covers still fully dressed a hand pressed over her eyes.

"Here," he said gruffly "take these," he held out the two small white pills to her and the glass of water.

As she sat up to take them he sat on the bed behind her his long legs stretched out either side of her body and gently eased her back so that she was leaning against his chest.

His hands came around to the buttons on her top and he started undoing them slowly.

Haley swatted at his hands feebly.

"Nathan, stop it."

He continued as if she hadn't spoken pulling her shirt gently from her shoulders, next his hands went to the top of her skirt sliding it slowly from her hips.

"What are you doing?" she groaned.

"Ssh." he told her.

Moving to a standing position he pulled her up to stand in front of him holding her against his chest as he pulled back the covers of the bed with his other hand.

Scooping her up in his arms he laid her down into the bed pulling the covers up snugly around her.

"Get some sleep Hales, I'll wake you when its time for dinner."

As he walked out for a moment Haley lay in wonder at his behaviour but then sleep took over and she sank into oblivion once more.

Within minutes of closing her eyes she slipped into a dream that there was no escape from.

It started innocently enough with her sitting in a bubble bath.

She could almost feel the warmth of the water as the image in her head felt so real.

There was a feeling of peace deep inside her as she lay there in the warm soapy water.

She relaxed back into the tub with her eyes closed stretching her legs out in front of her.

A pair of rough hands caught her legs as they rested either side of his muscled torso the fingers stroking over the silky smooth skin of her calves.

She opened her eyes lazily smiling at him as she moved closer to him sitting in his lap and wrapping her legs firmly around his waist.

His arms came around her wet slippery body holding her in place as she began to move seductively against him.

Sliding her hand down between their bodies she grasped his length in her hand moving her hand rhythmically up and down and feeling his almost instantaneous response.

His lips latched on to her neck sucking and biting at the sensitive skin uncaring of whether there would be a telltale mark for others to witness.

She gasped in pleasure at the sensations he was able to elicit in her body with such a simple movement.

Tilting her head back to allow his mouth better access to her naked flesh she caught sight of Josh standing watching them a look of disappointment clouding his features.

"Josh," she gasped as she felt Nathan's tip pressing against her entrance.

"What are you doing here?" She moaned as she finished her question feeling Nathan enter her more fully.

Her fingernails bit into his shoulders as she felt her body adjusting to the feel of him inside of her

Nathan looked up as he heard her voice, smiling when he saw Josh there.

"Hey Josh, glad you could make it," he said with a smirk.

"Yes well you told me there was something I needed to see and I guess you were right," he said seemingly unconcerned.

"Goodbye Haley," he said as he turned on his heel and started to leave the room.

Haley began to struggle against Nathan trying to free herself from his grasp but his hands continued to stroke possessively over her body.

"Josh," she yelled "wait, don't leave me.

Josh please come back.

JOSH."

Nathan was on his way to check on her as he heard her voice start calling out from the bedroom.

He quickened his pace wanting to see what it was that had her sounding so anguished.

He couldn't quite make out the words she was yelling but there was no mistaking the sound of panic present in her voice.

He felt that protective instinct rising up inside of him again much as it had earlier when she had appeared so helpless in the clutches of that headache.

Finally reaching the doorway to his room he saw her twisting and turning in his bed tangled up in the sheets obviously in the midst of a disturbing dream.

Suddenly she stopped thrashing and lay dead still opening her mouth she said the one thing guaranteed to override all of Nathan's caring instincts towards his former fiancee.

"JOSH," she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Nathan had been halfway to the bed when he heard her voice and he recoiled as if he had been shot.

He didn't know why he was so surprised by this but he felt as if he had just taken a punch to the solar plexus and the room seemed to spin before his eyes.

Everytime he thought they might be able to forget about this spectre that hung over their heads in the form of Josh something would happen to bring him crashing back down to reality and the reality was that Haley was involved with another man a man she intended to marry.

He backed out of the room forgetting all about his purpose of coming there in the first place all he wanted now was to get away from her and the sound of her voice calling out to her missing fiance.

He went downstairs quickly, forcing himself to appear natural as he walked into the kitchen where Deb was.

"How's Haley sweetie, is she feeling any better?" she asked failing to notice how tense her son was.

"She's fine," he answered mechanically, "still sleeping."

Deb appeared satisfied with his answer as she continued her preparations for dinner.

Meanwhile upstairs Haley woke up feeling slightly disoriented.

Then the images from her dream came rushing back to her and she clapped a hand over her mouth absolutely mortified with what her subconscious had conjured up while she was sleeping.

She'd always known that the subconscious is capable of coming up with some wacky stuff but this was beyond weird.

To dream that she was having sex with Nathan was bad enough but for Josh to enter while it was happening and Nathan say that he had invited him well that just made no sense at all.

Throwing back the covers from the bed she stood dressing quickly, a slight flush covering her cheeks as she remembered how Nathan had undressed her.

For the first time since she had come back she had caught a glimpse of Nathan the way he used to be and it had woken up a part of her that she thought had long ago died.

Here she was doing her best to convince herself that there was nothing other than a physical attraction between them and he completely turned things around without warming.

Maybe she had been too quick to dismiss all the feelings for Nathan that she had been trying to ignore ever since she had first laid eyes on him again.

_What if there is still something between us?_

Her mind was racing as she left the room and made her way down the stairs to where she could hear the sounds of hushed voices coming from the kitchen.

Smiling sincerely for what she was fairly certain was the first time since Nathan had come up with this ridiculous idea of her staying here with him and his mother she entered the room.

She smiled briefly at Deb her eyes immediately searching out Nathan where he sat his feet resting on the table watching her impassively.

"Sleeping Beauty is awake," he said sarcastically.

"It's about time you decided to grace us with your presence." He said coldly.

Deb looked at him strangely but elected not to comment.

Nathan had been in a strange mood ever since he got home from school and she knew better than to get involved.

Whatever was bothering him it was up to him and Haley to sort it out between themselves.

Haley was slightly taken aback by his coldness towards her.

After what had happened earlier this was the last thing she had expected from him.

Deciding she would talk to him later about it she sat down at the table to eat the delicious dinner Deb had prepared.

It seemed to go on forever and was fraught with the tension that Nathan seemed to be exuding in waves.

By the time it was finally finished Haley was relieved to escape.

"Um I still have a bit of a headache so I think I might go to bed early."

She waited for Nathan's typical response but it was not forthcoming.

Saying goodnight to Deb she went upstairs wondering what it was that had Nathan so upset.

She undressed and put on her nightwear before climbing under the covers, there was definitely something strange going on here but she had no idea what had caused it.

Tossing and turning she watched the clock slowly count down the hours.

After her nap earlier there was no way she felt like sleep now and so she lay awake listening for some sign that Nathan might soon be joining her.

At last she heard his footsteps on the stairs and she snuggled down feigning sleep straining her ears for the sound of the door opening.

Finally he entered and she risked a peek at him from below her lashes.

He had his back to her and was removing all his clothes leaving only his boxer shorts on.

Turning suddenly he caught her watching him but failed to use what should have been the perfect opportunity to once again torment her.

Instead he walked to the bed and climbed in turning his back to her and offering her a curt "Goodnight."

She was at a loss to explain his behaviour she had expected him to come in and demand that they continue what they had started in the supply closet that morning but instead he had barely looked at her.

Deep down she knew she should be relieved but she could not ignore the slight feeling of unease and disappointment at being rebuffed in this manner.

_Not that I would have let him go through with it of course_ she assured herself.

She glanced over to where he lay with his back turned resolutely to her.

It was obvious something had happened to upset him and sooner or later she was going to get to the bottom of it.

**Spoilers:- A meeting with Principal Logan leaves Haley upset. A proposition from Deb leads to a very interesting situation. **


	14. A Propostion

**A.N Well heres chapter 15 for all you faithful reviewers who have been asking for it. I've been madly typing away for the last couple of days finishing this chapter and working on the next one so hopefully with any luck I'll be able to post one more Saturday before I leave. I need to thank Hilary for all the input she has been offering for this story and the assistance she gave me with this chapter. Thank you so much. Now one more personal note to bertie. I just want to say it was a nice try but I'm onto you. Thanks for the review and I hope I get more from you as you read more of the chapters and get up to date on the story. Now to all of you thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews that I have been recieving. Enjoy the latest chapter and as always be sure to tell me what you think. I don't really think that this chapter is very good but it sets the scene for what's to come with the story so bear with it because I can assure you that the chapters I have to come should more than make up for this rather poor attempt.**

**Disclaimer. As always I have no ownership of the characters in this story apart from the ones that I have conjured up in my imagination. You know who they are. I also have no rights to the hotel mentioned in this chapter although from what I saw on the net when I was researching I certainly wish I did.**

**heather dawn** I know everyone would like nothing better than to see Josh get kicked to the kerb but unfortunately he has a rather important part to play in the chapters still to come. I'm glad you got such enjoyment out of the Naley moments I had a lot of fun writing them. Thanx for the review. I always like finding out what you think of the latest chapters.

**MeSpikeAndAngelinA3sum** Hey Nats, it's great that you enjoyed those chapters so much. I thought the supply closet action would be a welcome addition to my story and I guess I was proven to be right. I guess Haley could only continue to deny such a blatant truth for so long before eventually she would have to own up to it. That chat with Kelly was kind of important to help Haley realise a few home truths about herself and her feelings for Nathan. Poor Kelly unfortunately did not get the response she was looking for from Haley. Glad you enjoyed the dream scenario. You had a large part to play in that being part of this story so thank you for taking the time to help me out with that. Hope you enjoy this chatper to. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on it.

**bertie** Well bertie I have to say it was wonderful to get a new reviewer once again. Now as for your identity well if I use your name as a clue then I think I would have to assume that this beach you are going to be spending lots of time on is one in Spain with yet another member of our Road Trip gang. But hey maybe I'm way off base. If that be the case then I guess you will reveal yourself to me when you feel the time is right. Thanx for the review.

**Cap'n Keira Sparrow** Thanks for the review. I like keeping the heat turned up between Nate and Hales. Nothing better in my opinion than a bit of Naley action. Glad you enjoyed it too.

**HipHopper92 **Good to have a review from you again I was a bit concerned that you might have stopped reading. Yes I'm definitely trying to turn up the heat between Nate and Hales in recent chapters and I can promise that there will be more of that to come. Thanx for the review.

**hilaryhilary** Glad you're enjoying it. Wow my first death threat my story must be getting good although at least it wasn't a death threat against me. You just leave poor Sawyer alone. He's just an innocent in all this. LOL. I thought it was time for us to see a slightly different side of Nathan start to come through but don't expect things to be sunshine and roses with him from now on. He still has a lot of issues to work through and lets just say with what I have planned things are likely to get worse before they get better. Nate and Haley definitely have some drama ahead of them. Thanx for the review and keep updating your story too. I absolutely love it.

**unfolddream** I agree some Naley action was long overdue so I hope it was worth the wait. As for Haley biting him well I thought it was about time she started to fight back and stand up for herself a bit. Glad you liked both chapters and I'll keep that suggestion in mind.

**kennedy** Wow I am so flattered. Thanx so much for the compliments on my writing. It always makes a writer happy to know their work is being enjoyed so much. Look forward to hearing what you think of this chatper too.

**doodlebah** Glad you liked it and thanx for taking the time to read and review even though you had homework to do. Love to hear your thoughts on this chapter too.

**Cathy** Thanx for reviewing and telling me what you think of what I've done so far. Its great to hear an opinion from someone new esp when its so positive. I'm glad you have enjoyed the story so far and I hope you continue to. Yes well unfortunately for Poor Nathan for the sake of the story I had to add in another small bump in the road. But just between you and me I'm pretty sure he'll get over it. I can promise you though that in the interests of this story they will eventually get to finish what they start and it won't be too much further into the future so I hope you keep reading because I'm fairly confident that its going to be worth the wait. While I'm sure you're probably right about the love the two of them are fighting so hard to ignore there is no guarantee of when or even if they are finally going to admit to it and settle down to a happy ending. I intend to make this quite a long story so am going to need to continue the drama between them for a bit longer. Hope you enjoy this chapter and I would love to hear what you think of this and any other chapter you'd like to comment on. Thanx again for the review.

**TinyDancer7** Hey Amanda, I managed to hold off on updating until I heard what you thought of the latest chapters. Figured it was the least I could do considering you were partly responsible for some of what happened in chapter 14. Sounds like you've got a lot going on yourself with finals and everything so I'm glad I was able to offer at least a brief respite from all the stress. It sounds as if the shower scene and supply closet scenes have had the desired effect on most of my readers. I recieved a lot of comments about them not that I'm surprised by that. I think its starting to get to the stage where Haley is starting to protest a little too much when its pretty obvious that she is more than willing in her little encounters with Nathan. Getting Nathan to say that stuff to Deb was too good an opportunity to pass up so I'm glad you found it as amusing as I intended it to be. Haley and Nathan are only just about to find out the repercussions of their little interlude in the supply closet and to put it mildly Haley is not going to be a happy lady. I'm glad you enjoyed the way scenario two played out. It was time to show a bit of a softer side to Nathan. Shame Haley had to go and spoil it. Although Haley seems to have spoilt things btwn K & J for the moment don't lose heart in them because you never know what might happen. What Haley said to Kelly comes down to nothing more than Haley's own fear of the feelings she still has for Nathan which she doesn't want to admit to. Now as for Haley's reasons for leaving I can promise you that you will find out eventually but its something I want to hold onto for a bit longer. I'm fairly certain that you will find it worth the wait though. Just like the skirt from Gap. LOL. Enjoy this latest chapter and I promise that I'm madly typing away trying to finish another chapter before I leave on Saturday. Thanx for the review.

**Chapter Fifteen**

Waking up early the next morning just as she always did.

Haley was surprised to find herself alone in the bed.

Nathan had for the first time in memory woken up before her and left her alone in the bed.

Getting out of bed she looked towards the open bathroom door but she could tell almost immediately that he wasn't in there.

She grabbed some clothes and dressed quickly heading downstairs hoping to find Nathan, his behaviour since yesterday afternoon was bothering her more than she liked to admit.

Walking into the kitchen she was halted by a voice from behind her.

"Goodness me it seems everyone's up early this morning.

Even my son who I have never known to get out of bed until the last possible second was heading out for a run almost as soon as it was daylight this morning."

Haley turned to face her.

"Morning Deb," she greeted her injecting some fake cheer into her voice to try and hide just how worried she truly was about Nathan.

She had lain awake for a long time last night after he had joined her in bed thinking abouthis unusual behaviour and then spending equally as long chastising herself for even caring that he had seemingly forgotten about the ultimatum he had given her in the supply closet.

She had done her best to convince herself that she was glad that he had not continued to pursue her when he had come to bed but she couldn't shake the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that seeing him so obviously unhappy had left her with.

Finally she had fallen asleep through pure exhaustion resolving to talk things out with Nathan when she woke up in the morning only to find that when she did wake up he was gone.

Half-heartedly Haley moved around the kitchen finding what she needed for her morning cereal.

She really wasn't all that hungry but needed something to keep her busy as she sat with Deb.

"Haley honey I hope you don't think I'm interfering but if you want to talk about what is going on with you and Nate then you know I'll be happy to listen."

Haley looked at her and for a moment forgot all about the fact that she was Nathan's mother and instead thought about the fact thatDeb was someone that Haley had always felt comfortable talking to no matter how personal the subject.

She opened her mouth to speak wanting to let all of her problems and worries spill out and thenbefore she could saya word she shut it again.

She couldn't tell Nathan's mom what it was that had her so upset lately.

How could she possibly tell her that the rekindling of her relationship with Nathan was nothing more than a sham?

As much as she wanted to be able to tell Deb everything she knew she couldn't.

She looked at Deb who was watching her expectantly and did her best to force lightness into her tone.

"Deb there's nothing wrong.

Nathan and I are fine.

We're just going through some normal teething problems with our relationship after having been apart for so long."

Deb looked visibly relieved at Haley's words and smiling broadly she started filling Haley in on all the latest gossip in Tree Hill.

Nathan entered a few minutes later his eyes zeroing in on Haley as she sat laughing with his mother.

He wanted nothing more at that moment then to drag her upstairs with him and kiss her senseless but somehow he ignored the urge.

Nodding his head in greeting at his mother he turned back to Haley.

"Morning Hales, did you sleep well?"

Haley could hear the restraint in his tone and knew instantly that the only reason he had spoken to her at all was because his mother was in the room with them.

Once again she wished she knew what she had done to upset him so much for she was now sure that it was something she had done that was causing him to act this way.

Her voice too was reserved as she answered him.

"Yeah I slept fine."

He nodded at her answer although he appeared not to have even heard it.

"I'm going to grab a shower before school," he told the two women "I'll be down for breakfast soon."

"Ok," Deb answered brightly as she busied herself with the dishes.

Haley sat lost in thought barely even looking up when Nathan rejoined them a few minutes later.

Eventually she was broken out of her thoughts by Nathan's hand on her arm and she looked up in shock that he had actually touched her.

"It's almost time for us to go," he told her " have you got everything?"

She looked up at the clock in surprise amazed that so much time had passed so quickly.

"Uh I'll be right back," she said dashing up the stairs to quickly brush her teeth and grab her purse.

When she came back down Nathan was waiting by the door with his keys in his hand.

He opened the door when he saw her and walked to the car climbing in and waiting for her to join him.

They arrived at school a little while later both having carefully avoided speaking to the other for the entire journey.

When they entered the Teacher's lounge Nathan immediately veered off to the left to check the message board calling Haley over as he found messages for both of them.

"Haley looks like Frank wants to see us."

"Ok" she answered "well I have a free period third period I'll go see him then."

"Don't think that's going to be an option Hales this note says he wants to see both of us together and before class.

Looks like we're going now."

xx--xx--xx--xx--xx--

Arriving home an hour later they were greeted by a very surprised Deb.

"Nate, Haley what are you doing here?

School's only just started for the day."

"Not for us" Haley muttered under her breath.

"Pardon," Deb responded, "I didn't hear what you just said."

"What she said Mom was 'not for us' certainly not today anyway."

"Or for the next three weeks for that matter," Haley interjected.

"I don't understand," Deb said confused, the way Haley was talking she sounded like she was about to blow a fuse.

The air around them seemed to be almost crackling with the anger that was emanating from Haley's petite form.

"We've sort of been suspended from duties for the next three weeks," Nathan explained.

A look of abject horror crossed Deb's face as his words sunk in.

"So it was true," she said disbelievingly.

"What was true Mom?"

"The story I heard about the two of you in that supply closet yesterday morning."

_Geez _Haley thought _I was right this woman has got ears everywhere._

Nathan was finding it very difficult to meet his mother's eye as he heard the accusatory tone of her voice.

Haley too kept her head down staring at the ground.

To an outsider the two of them would not have appeared as confident twenty-something adults but rather children in danger of a spanking.

Who would have dreamed that Deb who was completely dwarfed by her six-foot plus son was still capable of putting the fear of God into him just by the tone of her voice?

"You two actually went into a supply closet at your place of work in full view of your students and started making out?" Deb asked.

Her voice was shaking and Haley wondered if maybe her fear in Mr Logan had been slightly unjustified, sure the man had yelled a bit and had suspended them from duties but from the sound of Deb's voice it sounded as if she was perhaps more of a threat to their well being.

Nathan too was listening to his mother's voice, he heard the shaking in her voice as she voiced her question and for a moment he too was almost as afraid as Haley was.

Then suddenly it occurred to him that there was something not quite right here.

He had heard his mom plenty of times on the verge of completely losing any thread of control over her anger and she had never sounded like this.

Taking a chance he looked up and found Deb valiantly trying to control one of the worst attacks of the giggles she had ever been faced with.

She found the whole situation hilarious.

The fact that at their age they had been caught sneaking into and out of a supply closet that goodness knows how many of their students had used on more than one occasion.

To her it was the sort of thing that made for side-splitting humour.

She could well remember how she and Dan had been when they were younger.

Spending all night together and still unable to keep their hands off each other every chance they got and now it seemed Nathan and Haley were exactly the same.

The sight of Nathan's incredulous face watching her was all it took for her laughter to come spilling out.

Haley immediately looked up in shock uncertain whether she could believe her own ears.

_Deb's laughing at us?_

She looked at Nathan and saw his mouth too beginning to twitch and before she knew it he too was in gales of laughter.

Haley put her hands on her hips and glared at them both.

"Would one of you mind explaining to me what could possibly be so funny about this?"

Deb looked at her from where she was bent over double laughing hysterically with tears pouring down her face.

"Oh Haley just the idea that you two, the teachers, were the ones who got caught out in the supply closet by the students and sent to the principals office surely you can see the irony in that situation."

"Maybe" she said quietly, trying to suppress the chuckle that was arising in her own throat.

Next thing she knew she too was joining in on their laughter and when they finally stopped to draw breath it seemed as if all the tension that had been enveloping them had somehow evaporated.

"So," Deb said finally regaining enough control of herself to be able to carry on a conversation.

"What are you two going to do for the next three weeks?"

"I really haven't given it much thought."

"I have no idea." They both answered simultaneously.

"Good," Deb said, "Because I have a great idea.

You two leave it with me for the moment and I'll see what I can sort out.

I need to make a few phonecalls first."

Haley could immediately feel herself start to tense up again as those dreaded words came from Deb's mouth.

She dreaded to think what was to come from Deb and looked at her hopefully wanting to just get the shock out of the way now because she could pretty much guarantee that whatever Deb was planning it was going to throw Haley's world into turmoil all over again.

But the look she sent in Deb's direction was to no avail and she didn't find out what Deb was planning until much later that day.

It was as they were cleaning up after dinner that night that Deb decided to unleash her plans on her two unwitting victims.

"How would you two like to go to Barbados?"

"What?" Haley choked out trying to tell herself that she must have somehow misheard her.

"She asked if we want to go toBarbados Hales."

"I know what she asked," Haley snapped at him "what I don't know is why or how or… or…"

"Haley chill out ok" Nathan suggested none too gently.

"Perhaps if you could stop talking for a moment Mom might be able to tell us what she's talking about."

Haley snapped her mouth shut biting down on the automatic retort that had sprung to the tip of her tongue.

"Ok Mom we're both listening, do you want to tell us what the hell you are talking about?"

Deb looked thoughtful for a moment as she tried to conjure up the perfect way to convince the two of them to accept the offer she was about to make.

There was quite obviously something going on between the two of them but as much as she would dearly love to find out what it was she knew there was about as much chance of the two of them deciding to confide in her as there was of a purple pig flying past the window right now.

Despite what the two of them seemed to think she was not stupid and she had picked up on the strange vibes especially from Haley ever since they had announced that they were back together or more to the point Nathan had announced it.

Coming out of her thoughts she became aware that both of them were staring at her obviously wondering what on earth was going on with her.

"Well," she began "as you both know Dan has extended his business trip and is coming back later than we had originally anticipated."

"Yeah so," said Nathan "what does that have to do with us?"

"If you would let me speak Nate then you would soon find out," Deb answered him impatiently.

"Now as I was saying Dan is not coming home as soon as I had originally thought he would be which means that we are unable to go on the holiday that we had booked for next week.

So I was thinking since you two are going to be off school anyway why don't the two of you go in our place?"

Haley stared at her dumbfounded and apparently Nathan must have been experiencing his own sense of shock also because for once he too remained quiet.

Noting their silence Deb rushed on quickly taking advantage of their silence to extol the many virtues of the holiday she and Dan had planned to go on themselves up until recently.

"You'll absolutely love this place," she gushed.

It's a beautiful hotel right on the beach called The House and from everything I've heard its meant to be magnificent."

Before she could continue her pitch Haley interrupted.

"Oh but Deb surely you want to save the trip for you and Dan when he gets back?"

She kept her voice casual hoping that she didn't come across as ungrateful but there was no way she could bear the thought of two weeks on a Carribean island with Nathan.

"Haley don't be silly I'd love for the two of you to go in our place.

I'm sure its just what the two of you need after being separated for so long.

Some time away from work and everything else where you can just enjoy each others company."

Haley remained silent hoping that just this once Nathan would speak up and tell Deb that her idea was not such a good one.

Nathan looked over at Haley he could see the pleading look in her eyes and knew what she wanted him to do.

Ordinarily he would have agreed with his mother straight away just to annoy her but at this precise moment in time the last thing he wanted to do was spend even more time with Haley when her thoughts were always so full of Josh.

Looking at the pleading in Haley's eyes once again he turned back to his mom.

"We'll think about it," he told her.

"Well you better hurry up and decide the plane leaves on Sunday morning."

"But Deb that's the day after tomorrow."

"I know sweetie that's why the two of you really need to make your decision tonight."

The rest of the night was spent by the three of them sitting in front of the T.V but Haley barely even noticed what was on.

She was far too keyed up with thoughts of Deb's offer and as much as she didn't want to admit it the idea of spending two weeks on a beach with Nathan definitely held some appeal.

When they went up to bed Nathan immediately launched into speech giving her reason after reason why they should go.

"Just think about it Hales.

We can escape all the drama that has been happening here in Tree Hill lately and enjoy two weeks of sun, sand and relaxation not to mention that it's all paid for so it won't cost us a cent."

Not giving her a chance to speak he continued.

"Its not like we've got anything else to do for the next three weeks."

Haley opened her mouth to speak but Nathan was on a roll and was not going to be interrupted so easily.

"We can always organise separate rooms when we get there." he finished breathlessly unsure why he felt such a need to convince her to go with him on this trip.

He was still angry about the way she had called out Josh's name yesterday but when he used his head he knew that there was really nothing about that that should upset him.

He had known that she was involved with Josh before he had started this whole campaign and as far as he was concerned nothing had changed.

But although Nathan did his best to convince himself somehow it all sounded a bit hollow even to his own ears and he found it difficult to ignore the hurt he had felt the day before when he had heard her calling for Josh instead of him.

Haley allowed him to speak even though she knew that nothing he said was going to make the slightest bit of difference she had aleady made up her mind before he had started talking.

"It sounds good," she told him.

"Haley can't you at least think...

What did you just say?"

"I said," she repeated slightly impatiently "it sounds good.

I think it would be great to get out of Tree Hill for a couple of weeks and at least there we can drop this stupid pretence that we are back together again."

"Uh yeah," Nathan agreed hesitantly waiting for the addendum he was sure she was going to add.

"So what's the catch?" he asked finally unable to wait any longer to hear what was going on in her head.

"There isn't one," she told him honestly.

"The way I figure it we can either go toBarbados and enjoy the sand and sun like you said or we can stay here and deal with the constant scrutiny this town has got us under.

Not to mention the fact that we will most likely be bored out of our brains with no work to go to."

Nathan stared at her in shock unable to believe that she had agreed so easily.

Not wanting to make a big deal out of it he shrugged nonchalantly as if it didn't really matter to him one way or the other and turned away from her preparing himself for bed.

"Well then I guess its settled day after tomorrow we go to Barbados," she said hoping to get more of a response from him but none was forthcoming.

_This exact behaviour is another reason why I agreed to this trip surely he'll tell me what's wrong while we're spending so much time together._

Watching him climb into bed deliberately keeping his back to her once again she sighed.

If things didn't go the way she expected they could be in for a very long two weeks.

Sighing again she went to the bathroom to prepare herself for bed.

_Barbados here we come!_

**Spoilers:- Nathan's weird behaviour continues, The flight to Barbados, Someone gets drunk and talkative.**


	15. Drunken Confessions

**A.N Well after that last chapter I figured I owed you another one as soon as possible so I worked my little butt off most of the afternoon and wrote you another chapter. I think most of you will enjoy this chapter but like I've said before this story is a long way from finished so take advantage of what this chapter has to offer because there's no guarantees of what the next chapter may hold. Plus whatever has been holding me back with the last couple of chapters seems to have resolved itself and I found this chapter was so much easier to write than the last two have been. Hopefully this burst of inspiration will continue and I'll get another update done by tomorrow. No promises though. Hope you guys tell me what you think of this chapter because maybe I'm way off base in thinking that you will enjoy it. I need to apologise that there is only the one spoiler at the end of this chapter and it really doesn't give anything away. Its hard to do spoilers when I still haven't wrote the chapter.**

**I also want to dedicate this chapter to Jody who helped me come up with the ideas of getting them suspended and heading off to Barbados. There you go Jod's I've dedicated it to you just like you made me promise. We'll have to road trip again soon it seems to be the ideal place for coming up with new and wacky ideas. If only they knew what is still in store for them.**

**heather dawn **Wow sounds like you gave some thought to the spoilers at the end of the last chapter. I decided not to keep you waiting to find out besides this chapter was too much fun to write for me to hold it back. I'm glad you liked the suspension scenario and trip to Barbados. Thought it might be a good touch to get them away from Tree Hill for a bit and just let them relax. Hope you enjoy this chapter too.

**hilaryhilary** Well Hilary here it is just as requested. Thanx for the positive feedback on the last chapter I know it wasn't my best work. So the threats still in place? This means war girl. LOL. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this chapter.

**Chapter Sixteen**

Looking at the rather large suitcase lying on the bed that Deb had insisted on lending her Haley wondered how she would ever possibly fill it.

She was fairly sure that Nathan could put all of his clothes into it too and it would still be only half full.

They were after all only going away for two weeks and a trip toBarbados didn't exactly call for bulky clothing.

She had packed everything she could possibly think of and still there was far too much space left over.

The only thing she had left to pack was a swimsuit and that was something she still had to buy.

Spending time at the beach hadn't exactly been high on her list of priorities when she had packed for her return to Tree Hill nor for that matter she thought looking critically at the clothing she had already packed was having fun of any kind.

Maybe while she was out shopping for a swimsuit she should treat herself to a new sundress or two.

Lost in thought of the purchases she was about to make Haley didn't hear Nathan enter the room until he came to stand right beside her clearing his throat abruptly.

"Is that all you're taking?" he asked conversationally.

"Pretty much yeah." She answered, "I may pick up a couple of bits and pieces at the mall but essentially that's it."

"I don't think I've ever known another female to pack as lightly as you do," he told her.

Haley was secretly rejoicing at the fact that he was once again speaking to her and therefore not giving much thought to the words that were spilling out of her mouth.

"I know, " she laughed, "Josh, says exactly the same thing."

Haley wanted to kick herself as soon as the words left her mouth.

She could almost see the shutters coming down between her and Nathan as he absorbed her words.

"Yeah well I guess he'd know wouldn't he?" Nathan said harshly before turning away.

"Nathan wait," she called after him as he exited the room "I didn't mean anything by it."

"It doesn't matter Haley.

I'll talk to you later."

After she was alone once again she sank down onto the bed cursing her own stupidity.

_Damn it what's wrong with me._

_Saying that in front of Nathan._

As she continued to chastise herself though she came to a realisation.

She had nothing to feel guilty about the simple fact of the matter was that she was with Josh now and she was only here with Nathan under sufferance so if he couldn't handle her mentioning his name then that was his bad luck.

There was no way she was going to spend the next two weeks walking on egg shells around Nathan constantly worrying that she might do or say something to upset him.

This was her holiday and she was going to enjoy it.

Feeling better after coming to that conclusion she picked up her purse and headed out the door.

She had some shopping to do and there was no time like the present.

When she arrived at the mall a little while later she could barely control the small flutter of excitement that shot through her.

It had been so long since she had treated herself to any clothes that weren't for work and had been able to choose outfits simply because they were fun.

Entering a shop specialising in swimwear she was almost overwhelmed at the sheer amount there were for her to choose from.

Flicking through the racks she selected a black one piece that although not terribly revealing she felt would look good on her.

As she was walking back towards the fitting rooms at the back of the store she passed the bikinis and on impulse grabbed one off the rack.

There was no way she would ever consider wearing it in public but that didn't mean she couldn't at least try it on.

Happy with the selections that she had with her she continued towards the fitting rooms but was held up by a hand coming out to clutch at her arm.

"Tutor girl are you shopping without me?"

Haley smiled ruefully to herself as she turned to greet Brooke.

She had actually considered inviting Brooke to join her at the mall but had changed her mind when she had thought of the type of things Brooke would undoubtedly insist that she try on and most likely buy.

"Hi Tigger," Haley did her best to look suitably ashamed at being caught out shopping without her friend.

If there was one thing Brooke Scott nee Davis knew how to do it was shop and there had been almost an unspoken rule between the two of them since they were sophomores in High School that when Haley went shopping Brooke went too.

"Right," Brooke said as if Haley had asked for her opinion "you're after a swimsuit.

Well for starters lets get rid of this thing," she said plucking the one piece that Haley had chosen from her arm "you need something much more eye catching than that."

Haley tried feebly to grab the one piece back but knew that she was most likely wasting her time.

When Brooke decided that a piece of clothing had to go it went no questions asked.

"You're going to be inBarbados Tutor Girl the only thing that you should be looking for in a swimsuit is how good its going to look as you lay on the beach working on your tan."

Haley looked at her in astonishment.

_How does Brooke know that we are going to Barbados?_

"Oh god don't tell that the Tree Hill gossip mill is onto us already?"

_Although if it is its probably just as well that we're leaving town._

"Relax Tutor Girl Lucas was talking to Nathan this morning and he told him that the two of you were going away and naturally considering I am his wife Lucas told me."

Haley blew out a noticeable sigh of relief.

"Oh thank goodness for that.

The last thing we need to do is provide them with any more fodder for them to spread about us."

"Don't worry about that Tutor Girl I think the stunt the two of you pulled at the school the other day was more than enough to keep them busy for the time being.

You know Tutor Girl I never would have thought that you'd be the type to get caught out making out in a supply closet especially since you're the teacher." Brooke continued loudly.

"Brooke," Haley groaned as she noticed that they now had the attention of practically everyone in the store.

She flushed with embarrassment as she saw some of the women start to whisper amongst themselves.

"What?" Brooke asked completely oblivious to the attention that she had gathered with her poor choice of conversation topics.

"Do you think we could maybe talk about this later?" Haley asked.

"Like when we get home."

"Uh sure if that's what you want." Brooke agreed unperturbed by Haley's obvious humiliation.

"Now," she said her mind returning to the task at hand "let's see you try these on."

As she spoke she threw three bikinis in Haley's direction.

Holding out her arms she managed to catch one piece of the swimwear being thrown in her direction but she dropped it almost as soon as it hit her fingertips.

Looking down at it in distaste she turned to Brooke.

"There is no way that I am wearing that."

"Why not?" Brooke asked.

"I wouldn't be caught dead wearing a string bikini at the best of times let alone inBarbados with Nathan."

"Don't be silly Tutor Girl he'd love it,"

"Exactly," Haley muttered under her breath.

"Won't you please just try it on," Brooke pleaded with her.

"Not going to happen Tigger."

Looking down at the other two bikinis Brooke had chosen she realised that although not something she would have necessarily chosen for herself at least they were decent enough to be worn in public.

"Look Brooke I think I'll just take these ones.

Why don't you come and help me pick out some sundresses and sarongs and then we'll go to lunch?"

"Sounds like a plan Tutor Girl," Brooke happily agreed.

xx--xx--xx--xx--xx--xx--xx

She had somehow managed to keep Brooke from going over the top in helping her with her purchases and they had enjoyed a leisurely lunch before Haley had headed home to finish her packing.

xx--xx--xx--xx--xx--xx--xx

Settling herself more comfortably into the seat beside Nathan she watched out the window as they flew over the clouds headed for their two weeks in paradise.

Early in the flight she had attempted to talk to Nathan but had found that most of his responses were noncommittal grunts so had soon given up.

She'd had enough of making all the effort and if he couldn't make the effort to speak to her then that was his bad luck.

She wasn't going to waste her holiday dealing with his shit.

She just wished he hadn't chosen to wear that particular blue shirt today.

The one that brought out the colour in his eyes and was just tight enough to give a hint of the muscled torso that lay beneath.

_Oh God let me off this plane._

xx--xx--xx--xx--xx--xx

Nathan sat beside her lost in his own thoughts.

He knew if his plan was going to succeed then he really needed to snap out of this mood that he was in but try as he might he could not bring himself to engage in the sort of flirty banter that had made up most of their conversations since she had returned to Tree Hill.

Then yesterday when he had tried to act with some semblance of normality around her he'd had it thrown back in his face with her talk of Josh.

It was shaping up to be a really long two weeks if this continued.

Noticing the stewardess reaching across him to pass Haley a drink he couldn't help but feel slightly concerned, that was the fourth vodka and coke she'd had since they had left.

If she kept this up he'd be carrying her off the plane.

Glancing at her out of the corner of his eye he could see her sipping on her drink as she stared thoughtfully out the window.

At least the flight would be over soon and they could get off this plane.

He was starting to go stir crazy sitting here with nothing to do and her so close beside him.

Every so often she would shift in her seat and he would feel her leg brush up against his.

It was enough to drive any man crazy and he truly didn't know how much more he could take.

All he kept thinking about was how they had once joked about how they would join the mile high club when they went on their honeymoon.

He couldn't help but wonder what her reaction would be if he were to suggest that they fulfil that long ago promise now.

Somehow though he knew he didn't have a hope in hell.

Finally an hour later they were on the ground and after collecting their luggage went to find the car that Deb had told them would be waiting for them.

Seeing a sign bearing the names Mr and Mrs Scott Nathan nudged Haley towards the man pushing the trolley with their luggage over to him.

xx--xx--xx--xx--xx--xx--xx--xx--xx

When they arrived at the hotel a little while later they were given a key to their room and directed to the stairs that would take them there.

Entering the room first Haley stopped and gasped with amazement.

"Oh my God look at this its gorgeous."

"Yeah I suppose so," Nathan said walking in behind her glancing with disinterest around the room until his eyes lit onto the enormous bed that faced out on to the ocean views.

"So," he said remembering the spiel he had given her when trying to convince her to come.

"Where are you going to sleep?

I noticed you didn't ask about another room when we were downstairs checking in."

Haley looked at him uncertainly, he was right she hadn't said a word about needing another room when the receptionist had asked if they would be requiring anything else.

"Um I guess I'll go and see them about that now," she answered looking wistfully at the room they now stood in.

"I'll be back soon to get my things," she told him before walking out the door.

As soon as she left Nathan sank down onto the bed wondering what the hell was wrong with him.

A couple of weeks ago all he could think about was getting Haley back into his bed, hell even a couple of days ago that had been the case and now here they are in a tropical paradise with a gorgeous room and a huge bed and he was practically chasing her away.

Even he knew that his behaviour made no sense and he knew exactly who was to blame for this whole mess.

There was no doubt in his mind that the blame lay solely at Josh's feet even though the two had never met and most likely never would that didn't mean that Nathan couldn't despise the other man.

Haley came back in then looking at him curiously as she saw him sprawled on the bed.

"I'll be staying in the room two doors down," she told him vainly hoping that he might show some interest in her plans but none was forthcoming.

"Fine Nathan if this is the way you want to be then I guess I'll just see you around."

Angry beyond belief she stormed out dragging her suitcase behind her.

When she reached her room she barely even looked around before dumping her suitcase and leaving again.

If Nathan wanted to behave like a spoilt two year old than that was fine by her but there was no way she was going to sit around and sulk the way he was.

Glancing quickly at herself in the mirror to ensure she looked presentable she grabbed her purse and headed downstairs to the bar.

She had heard other guests talking about it while she had been downstairs arranging another room for herself and it had sounded like the perfect place to begin her holiday.

Entering she ordered her fifth vodka of the day and drank it quickly before ordering another one that she proceeded to sit and drink at a more leisurely pace.

After an hour of sitting there continuously drinking Haley was completely off her face and almost everybody around her knew it.

She was struggling to stand up and had actually been forced to hold onto the sleeve of the man standing beside her in order to retain her balance.

The bartender was now refusing to give her any more drinks and was in fact calling for management as she began to sing along rather loudly to the soft music playing inside.

The manager walked in and came to greet her.

"Hello Miss, how are you enjoying Barbados so far?"

"Itsh great," Haley slurred throwing an arm around his shoulders.

"Well how would you like me to help you back up to your room?"

"No thanks," Haley told him "otherwise I might have to see him."

"I see," the manager continued "and who might he be?"

"Nathan Scott," she answered "my first love.

Hey," she said suddenly jerking upright as a thought occurred to her "do you think its true what they say about first loves?

That you'll never love anyone as much as you love that person?"

"I really don't know miss.

Now why don't I have someone take you upstairs so you can discuss all this with… Nathan was it?"

"Yes his name is Nathan but I can't talk to him about this 'cause then he'd know and he's not allowed to know."

Promise me you won't tell him," she begged.

"No of course I won't," he assured her "now if you'll excuse me for a moment I really have something rather urgent I need to take care of."

"Oh," Haley said disappointed to be losing her confidante.

"Well I guess I'll see you later then."

But he was already halfway across the room by the time Haley managed to bid him farewell.

Turning back to the bar she attempted to prop herself up as she wondered what she could do to get herself another drink.

Meanwhile the manager was now speaking rather brusquely to one of his employees.

"You need to get her out of there right now.

We can't let the other guests see her like that."

"Yes sir" the young man replied "but how am I supposed to do that.

You saw her she's not going to leave without causing a scene."

"Well then perhaps you had better call in some help, she mentioned a man that she's here with...a Mr Nathan Scott I believe she said.

I want you to contact him immediately and get him to come and collect her.

Surely she'll go with him without any fuss."

"Ok sir I'll call his room immediately."

Meanwhile Nathan sat upstairs staring moodily at the television screen.

_Here I am in beautiful Barbados and what am I spending my time doing?_

_Sitting in front of a TV for Fucks sake._

_Some holiday this is going to be._

Hearing the phone ring beside his bed he redirected his glare to it hoping that it would stop.

Eventually it rang out but almost immediately started up again followed by someone banging rather loudly at his door.

"What now?" he grumbled to himself as he continued to ignore the phone in favour of first answering the door.

"What do you want?" he asked throwing it open and glaring at the person on the other side.

"Mr Scott?" the young man standing outside his room asked nervously.

"Yeah what?" Nathan asked impatiently.

"Um Sir I was wondering if you could please accompany me down to the bar?"

"Now why the fuck would I want to do that?" Nathan asked his impatience growing with every passing minute.

"Sir your lady friend she's down in the bar and we need you to come and get her."

"My what?" Nathan asked incredulously.

"You mean Haley?

What on earth is she doing down in the bar?"

"Well Sir" the man continued "she's had rather a lot to drink and we thought it might be best if she perhaps came upstairs and had a rest."

"So why are you telling me?" Nathan asked doing his best to sound disinterested while in reality his brain was racing.

_Haley's drunk._

_But Haley never gets drunk!_

"Well sir she won't leave with us.

She's been asking for you."

Nathan interest perked at this statement.

"Hang on let me just grab my key," he said striding over to the bed before turning and following the other man down to the bar.

Sure enough when he arrived he could immediately tell that Haley was more than slightly inebriated.

As he watched she stumbled and almost fell to the ground before regaining her balance.

Looking up she spotted Nathan watching her.

"Nathan," she squealed excitedly "have you come to have a drink with me?

None of these other spoil sports will," she told him jerking her head in the direction of the other occupants of the bar who were all watching her with a certain distaste.

"Nah Hales I thought maybe you and I could go up to the room and have a drink there alone.

How does that sound?"

"Oh that would be perfect" she gushed moving unsteadily towards him.

Sliding an arm around her waist he led her slowly out of the bar.

But Haley apparently had other ideas.

Slipping away from the steadying arm he had around her waist she moved behind him jumping on his back.

"I want a piggy back ride," she declared sliding her arms loosely around his neck as he obligingly helped her onto his back.

"Ok Hales," he said, "let's go."

_At least it will get her upstairs quicker._

Smiling drunkenly at every person they passed Haley allowed herself to be carried towards the stairs.

As they approached she spotted the man who she had been talking to earlier in the bar watching her and Nathan.

Grinning at him she held a finger to her lips.

"Ssh," she said to him "you're not allowed to tell Nathan what I said."

The hotel manager nodded to her just glad to see that she was finally on her way back to her room.

"Tell me what Hales?"

"Uh uh" she said in a singsong tone "I can't tell you."

"Whatever," Nathan replied knowing full well that if there was one sure way to get Haley to talk then it was to pretend to not be interested.

Finally arriving back at her room he struggled to keep hold of her as he held out his hand for the key.

"Give me your key I'll open the door."

"No," she said giggling.

"Haley just give me the damn key."

Haley by now was laughing uncontrollably.

"Can't." she sputtered.

"What do you mean you can't?" he groaned helping her down from his back and bringing her to stand in front of him.

"It's gone," she responded simply.

"How can it be gone?" He asked trying not to let his impatience show through.

"Just is," she responded.

Nathan could not stifle his groan at her childish response.

He'd forgotten what she could be like when she had too much to drink although he didn't think he'd ever seen her this plastered before which was saying something considering they had gone through the whole teenage party scene together.

"Look just give me your purse and I'll find it," he told her his patience with her wearing thin.

"Can't," she replied again simply.

"Let me guess," Nathan said quietly "it's gone too?"

"Yep." Haley answered giggling once again

"Well in that case I'd better go find it," he said turning away from her.

As he walked away he saw that she had already slumped to the floor against the wall and knew he could not leave her there like that.

Grumbling some choice words to himself he made his way back to her scooping her up from the floor and pulling his own room key from his pocket.

Fishing it out he unlocked the door and placed Haley on his bed.

"Stay here" he commanded her "I'll be back shortly."

"Nathan where are you going I want you to stay here with me."

But unfortunately for Haley and perhaps for Nathan as well Nathan had already left the room and did not hear her words.

Closing her eyes she drifted off for a moment rousing herself again a few minutes later when she heard Nathan re-enter.

"Nathan come lay down with me," she pleaded.

"No Hales you need to go back to your own room."

"But I want to stay here with you." She told him forlornly.

"Please come lay down with me,"

"Alright fine Hales but just for five minutes ok?"

"Sure five minutes," she agreed scooting over to create room for him to lay on the bed with her.

As he lay down she snuggled into him placing her head on his chest.

"Nathan what's going on with us?" she asked him quietly.

"What do you mean Hales?"

"I mean every time I turn around lately you're there and I can't stop thinking about you.

I've even been dreaming about you."

"Haley what are you talking about?"

"The other day," she continued "when I had that headache I had this dream about you and you and I were…. Well you know…." She trailed off uncertainly for a moment before apparently regaining her train of thought "and then Josh came in while we were in the bath and he saw us."

Nathan was having a hard time understanding what she was saying.

She was speaking really fast and she was still slurring her words together.

He opened his mouth to ask her more about what she was saying but before he could voice his question she continued on.

"And I was yelling for Josh to stop and he just wouldn't and I felt so bad because he looked so disappointed in me." She finished off sadly.

For a moment Nathan lay there in disbelief as he processed everything that she had said.

_Is that really what happened?_

_Is that why she was calling Josh's name because she was having a dirty dream about me and he turned up in it?_

Suddenly his bleak mood of a few minutes ago took a sharp turn for the better.

"Hales don't worry about it now," he told her "we'll talk about it later after you've had some sleep."

Gently he pressed her head back down onto his chest and wrapped his arm around her.

He could do with a nap himself and there was no way he was getting out of this bed as long as Haley was still in it.

Glancing down at her he could see that she had passed out almost as soon as she had finished speaking.

Sleep was just what she needed now and they could worry about other things later.

Right now he had everything he needed.

**Spoiler:- Fun times in Barbados**


	16. Haley's Perfect Day

**A.N Wow you guys rock the last few updates have come through pretty close together which usually means fewer reviews but you guys have not let me down. I can't believe how many you have managed to submit in the last day. Thank you so much. Now on another note I don't know why but for some reason I sit down to write a nice sweet chapter without any sexual undertones and Nathan seems to end up saying all these things that I just can't seem to control. I'm sure you must all be cursing me for all the sexual tension between them but I promise it is leading somewhere, as you will discover in the next few chapters. Hope you can hang on that long. Especially you Jess I couldn't help but get the impression with the latest batch of reviews that you would like to see something happen between them. Don't know what could possibly have given me that idea. Anyway hope you all enjoy this chapter, as it will most likely be the last for the next couple of weeks as I leave for my holiday tomorrow. Remember to review and tell me what you think. It will help the creative juices to keep flowing while I'm away.**

**MeSpikeAndAngelinA3sum **Ok so I'm thinking that people enjoyed the drunk Haley and were glad that she finally told Nathan about the dream. I thought the piggy back ride would be a nice touch. Thands so much for the reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

**Cap'n Keira Sparrow** Well by working my little tail off I've managed to get another chapter done for your reading pleasure at least I hope it will be pleasure. Glad you enjoyed Haley's drunken confession. It should definitely help to clear the air between them. Hope you enjoy this chapter too.

**heather dawn **Yes he needed to know the truth about why she had called Josh's name and what better way to reveal it than with a drunken confession. I'm glad that you enjoyed that chapter and as for her room well I guess you'll just have to read and see.

**catc20** Another new reviewer. Welcome aboard. I think you'll find the journey with this story a tumultuous one at times but hopefully ultimately enjoyable. Another fan of drunk Haley hmmm might have to keep that in mind for future chapters. Yes we should all be thankful for Brooke and as you will discover in this chapter there is even more for them and us to be thankful to her for. Glad that I managed to restore your good mood with the piggy back ride and the chat with the manager. They obviously had the desired effect for all you readers. Yes Nathan is definitely opening himself up again but I don't know whether you've ever read any of my other stories but things rarely continue to be smooth sailing for long. Although there is a hint of that in this chapter. I'll look forward to hearing your thoughts on all the chapters to come.

**Britt** Hey you're back. I'm glad you're still finding it entertaining. Keep reviewing its great to get some reviews from different people. Thanks for the feedback.

**hilaryhilary** I'm glad you approve. And as for your threats all I can say is let the battle begin. LOL.

**unfolddream** Ok thinking you're a fan of the drunkeness. I'm glad you enjoyed it. It was fun to write. Maybe I'll be able to squeeze another drunken scenario into the story somewhere. Thanks for the review.

**kennedy** Stop I'm blushing. LOL. No really thanks once again for an extremely complimentary review. It makes my day to hear people are enjoying it so much. Hope you enjoy this one too.

**kaos2405 **She's back! Hey good to get a review from you again and three in one day. Wow that was great. So I'm getting a sense of a certain anxiety coming through in your reviews. All I can say is stick with it and as they say 'Good things come to those who wait'. By the way update I need to read at least one more chapter before I leave.

**Enjoy everyone and thanx to all those who reviewed.**

**Chapter Seventeen**

When Haley woke up the next morning unlike many may have been in her situation she didn't have to stop and think for a moment where she was. She could feel the weight of Nathan's arm where it lay draped across the bare skin of her midriff.

_Wait bare skin?_

_I remember a lot of things that happened last night but none of them involved getting naked._

_Well practically naked _she quickly amended to herself.

Lifting her head from Nathan's chest she watched him as he slept.

He looked so peaceful and untroubled when he was asleep almost like he used to look when they were together five years ago.

As if sensing her scrutiny Nathan's eyes fluttered open and for a moment he appeared confused before he registered Haley's presence in his arms and without warning a sly smile covered his face.

"I could get used to this you know," he told her brushing a piece of hair away from her face.

Haley couldn't help but compare this to the last time she had woken up in his arms and had been so afraid that he would wake and find her there that she had practically ran for the safety of the shower.

A slight flush covered her cheeks as she remembered what had happened in the shower on that particular morning.

In reality she knew not a lot had changed since that day but for some reason the last few days she had felt herself opening up to him more and it seemed to stem from the way he had looked after her when she had that headache.

Even though he had acted distant after that she had somehow felt like something had been regained between them again.

Then after her drunken confession last night even though she could barely see straight at the time she had got the definite sense that something had changed for the better between them.

"Yes well I probably could too," she told him.

"Except for one thing."

"Oh really," he smirked "and what might that be."

"The fact that I have no idea where my clothes are or why I'm not wearing them."

Suddenly she looked at him and a feeling of dread rolled her stomach.

_They hadn't had they._

_No of course we didn't._

_I would know if that happened surely._

_Not only would I remember it but also if memory serves me correctly I would have woken up feeling a hell of a lot better than this._

_He always was the ultimate hangover cure._

Realising she was once again becoming distracted from the matter at hand she turned her attention back to Nathan who was watching her with a rather amused look on his face.

"Something bothering you Hales?" he asked rubbing a bare leg against Haley rather provocatively.

"Nathan," she began but trailed off uncertainly as his leg once again brushed against her own and she lost her train of thought.

"Can you please just tell me what happened last night?"

"What do you mean Hales?" he asked determined to drag out this moment as long as possible.

"Nathan please just tell me," she pleaded feeling almost like she was going to cry.

"You really want to know?" he asked her.

"Yes," she said definitively.

"But you may not like the answer Hales."

"I don't care," she told him stubbornly "I just have to know."

"Ok if you're sure you want to know?"

"I'm sure,"

"Well then here it is.

You woke up in the middle of the night and insisted you were too hot with all your clothes on and started taking them off.

I managed to stop you before you removed everything."

Haley for a moment was relieved and then all the memories came flooding back of what she had done after she had taken off her clothes and she wanted to die right there and then.

_**Flashback **_

_Throwing back the covers she sat up causing Nathan's arm to fall from where it rested across her back waking him up also._

"_Hales what are you doing?" he asked groggily_

"_It's too hot," she moaned plucking at the hem of the t-shirt she was wearing_

_Then without further warning she pulled it over her head clad only in her jeans and bra as she sat beside them._

_Nathan tried to control his sharp intake of breath but it was useless._

_It didn't seem to matter how many times he saw her partially undressed it never ceased to affect him._

_Her hands were now tugging at the buttons on her jeans, finally succeeding in undoing each of them she began to wiggle around attempting to shimmy out of them._

_Nathan sat watching her fascinated by the way her breasts moved so enticingly as she insisted on wiggling around in the bed next to him._

_Holding them up triumphantly she tossed them down onto the floor._

"_Now," she said stroking a hand over his chest "Isn't that better?"_

"_I uh guess so." He choked out._

_Haley looked slightly disappointed in his response then seemed to brighten almost instantly._

"_No you're right," she said "I'm not finished yet."_

_Reaching behind her she fumbled with the clasp of her bra._

"_This may as well go too." She told him as continued to struggle with the stubborn metal._

"_Uh no Hales actually I think that's probably enough for now," he told her desperately knowing there was no way he would be able to retain the thin hold he had over his urges if she continued to remove bits of clothing._

"_Are you quite sure about that?" she asked him cheekily._

"_I'm positive," he said desperately._

"_Well you know," she said conversationally "I'm not the only one who could stand to lose some of their clothes."_

"_Haley I'm only wearing a pair of shorts."_

"_Exactly" she responded "and as far as I'm concerned that's far too much."_

_As she spoke she slid her small hands inside the waistband of his shorts._

_Nathan groaned loudly as he felt her fingers brush fleetingly against his length._

_Grasping her wrists firmly he pulled her hands out of his shorts and held them up in front of her._

"_Haley trust me you don't want to do this,"_

"_Yes I do," she told him determinedly._

"_Hales I know you think you want this but you're drunk and trust me when you wake up in the morning you are going to be really glad that I stopped you."_

"_Nathan stop the bullshit._

_You obviously don't want me anymore._

_That's really why you're turning me down isn't it?"_

_Nathan stared at her incredulously scarcely able to believe that she was honestly contemplating the thought that he might not want her._

_**Is she nuts?**_

"_Haley I do want you but not like this,_"

"_Bullshit Nathan, you're not interested in me at all anymore._

_Here I am half naked practically throwing myself at you and you're turning me down._

_Well fine Nathan if you're not interested anymore than I'm sure I'll be able to find someone else who is."_

_Nathan could feel his temper growing as he listened to her words and that wasn't the only part of him that was growing._

_Watching her kneeling in front of him flushed with anger and wearing nothing more than her underwear he could feel his excitement building._

_Grabbing her hand he pulled it down and placed it on the front of his shorts._

"_Feel that?" he grated._

"_Do you?" he asked again as she failed to respond._

_She couldn't answer him._

_As soon as her hand had come into contact with the front of his shorts her mouth had gone dry and rendered her incapable of speech._

_She could feel the heat emanating from him through the thin material of his shorts and the distinct bulge seemed to be pulsing against her hand._

"_That's how much I want you Hales and don't you ever forget it."_

_He held her hand there a moment longer relishing her touch but finally he couldn't bear it any longer and wrenched her hand away._

"_Don't ever make the mistake of thinking I don't want you Hales._

_Now go back to sleep._

_I need to go take a shower."_

_Despite the alcohol still coursing through her system Haley found herself still laying awake minutes later listening to the sounds of his shower._

_**End Flashback**_

Burying her face in the pillow she could barely meet Nathan's gaze as he saw realisation dawn on her face and knew she had remembered all the events of the night before.

"Hales" he said and she could hear the distinct laughter in his voice as he spoke.

"Its ok, don't worry about it.

You just had too much to drink that's all."

Haley felt some of her embarrassment die away as Nathan spoke so understandingly,

"But you should understand one thing very clearly Hales if you ever do that to me again I wouldn't count on me being able to do the gentlemanly thing again.

So you can be rest assured that if you ever start taking off your clothes in the middle of the night in my bed there is no way that I'll ever say no again.

Consider yourself warned." He told her.

"Now" he said apparently ready to drop the subject for the time being "how about we go and have some breakfast and then check out what Barbados has to offer us."

"Uh yeah sounds good," Haley agreed relieved that he was allowing the subject to drop at least for the time being.

"I'm going to go get dressed and I'll meet you in front of the lifts in about fifteen minutes," she told him.

"Ok," he agreed as she clambered out of his bed trying to cover up as best she could.

"Oh by the way Hales for someone who must have the hangover from hell you're looking good this morning."

Haley blushed as she saw him running an approving eye over all the skin that was left bare to his gaze.

Hurriedly she picked up her jeans pulling them on before hunting around for her t-shirt.

He grinned to himself as he watched her.

This could turn out to be an interesting two weeks after all.

Letting herself into her room a few minutes later Haley rummaged through her suitcase looking for something to wear today.

She pulled out a white sundress that she knew accentuated her golden skin tones and put it on before going into the bathroom to put on a small amount of makeup.

She heard a knock at the door followed by Nathan's voice.

"Hales can I come in?"

"Yeah" she called back "its open,"

He came in looking around before spotting her in the bathroom.

He sat down on the bed to watch her as he began to talk.

"Hales I was just talking to the activities desk and they've got a boat trip going today that I thought might be fun for us to go on.

What do you think?"

"Um sure sounds good."

She called back distractedly over her shoulder.

"Well you're going to need your swimsuit," he told her.

Remembering what he had said just a few minutes ago in his bedroom Haley reached a fast decision.

She knew the swimsuits Brooke had talked her into buying and after what had happened between her and Nathan the night before there was no point tempting fate.

"No that's ok Nathan I don't think I'll be swimming considering the hangover I've got."

_We'll see about that Hales _he thought rummaging through her suitcase until he found exactly what Brooke had said would be there.

Stuffing it into his backpack that he had bought along for the day he waited for her to finish up in the bathroom.

When she exited he smiled at her before offering his arm to her.

"Lets go have some fun shall we?"

"Lets," she agreed happily linking her arm through his.

She couldn't suppress the bubble of happiness that was floating in her stomach as she thought of the day they had ahead of them.

It had been so long since she and Nathan had simply had fun together and that was one of the things that she had missed the most when she was away in Chicago.

Nathan had not only been her fiancé but her best friend too when they had been together and as clichéd as it sounds she had missed being able to talk to him even when she had known that they no longer had a future as Mr and Mrs Scott.

But she didn't want to think about that now.

There were too many bad memories from their past and that's where they needed to stay right now all she wanted was to spend some time with Nathan without all the tension that had surrounded them back in Tree Hill.

She tried to quell the voice in her head that kept popping up telling her that she was being disloyal to Josh with her current behaviour but try as it might that voice could not convince her that what she was doing with Nathan was wrong.

They hadn't spoken in more than a week and technically as Nathan said they were on a break so if she wanted to enjoy some time with her ex boyfriend then why shouldn't she.

She was a grown woman capable of making her own decisions about what was going on in her life and who she wanted in it.

Coming out of her thoughts she looked up to see Nathan looking at her quizzically as they stood waiting to be seated in the restaurant for breakfast,

Bringing his hand up to her head he tapped it lightly with one finger.

"Its holiday time Hales time to turn that overworked brain of yours off for a while and simply relax and enjoy whatever is to come."

"I know," she agreed "you're right I have to stop thinking so much.

But that's why I have you to take my mind off things."

"Well," he said cheekily mockingly taking a bow "I'm glad I can be of service,"

Seeing the waiter coming towards him he smiled at her.

"Now lets go see about getting you some bacon and eggs if I remember correctly that always was your favourite hangover cure."

Haley followed him across the restaurant smiling uncaring who saw them with their arms linked and appearing not to have a care in the world.

Besides it wasn't like anyone knew them here anyway.

Looking up she saw the manager that she had spoken to last night watching her warily and had to stifle a giggle.

That poor man all he had wanted to do was stop her from making a spectacle of herself in his hotel and she had decided to make him her confidante about all her confusion with Nathan.

Unable to resist the urge she smiled broadly at him before raising a finger to her lips in a Ssh motion.

He immediately blanched and looked away probably concerned that she would attempt to come and speak to him again.

Haley once again had to control her urge to laugh she couldn't remember the last time she had felt this happy and relaxed and she looked forward to what the day held in store for them.

Nathan settled her at the table before walking over to the buffet to heap a plate with a large serving of Bacon and eggs for her and made a similar plate up for himself.

"Here eat this we have a long day ahead of us." He said easily handing her the plate.

They ate in silence but for once Haley didn't mind this was a different type of silence to what she had been subjected to lately.

This was almost companionable.

After they finished eating he stood up and took her hand leading her towards the dock where the boat was waiting for them.

Haley looked around at the other couples waiting to board and was taken aback by how right it felt standing here with Nathan amongst all these people who were so obviously in love.

It was almost frightening how much being with Nathan seemed to make such perfect sense.

She felt Nathan's hand squeeze hers lightly and she smiled radiantly in response.

Walking ahead of him she walked to the boat feeling Nathan's hands come to rest on her hips to steady her as she climbed aboard.

She waited for him to join her on board before walking with him to an empty patch of deck and spreading out the towels they had been provided with.

Haley put her sunglasses on and laid back ready to absorb the beautiful rays of sunshine that were already beating down on them this early in the morning.

She glanced over at Nathan who had already removed his shirt and was sprawled out on his stomach next to her.

He reached over to his backpack and pulled out a bottle of sunscreen tossing it to her.

"Here you better use some of this or you'll get burnt to a crisp."

Gratefully she caught the bottle and sat up rubbing the lotion into the exposed skin of her legs and arms.

He couldn't help the smirk that crossed his lips as he watched her hands rubbing against her legs and imagined himself taking over the job.

_But that could wait till later when she got into her swimsuit and had lots of exposed skin in hard to reach places._

Haley saw his smirk and wondered what had caused it this time but didn't waste a lot of time thinking about it as she lay back down.

"Hales aren't you going to offer me some help?" Nathan asked looking over at her.

She looked at him questioningly until he threw the bottle of sunscreen back to her.

"You don't want me to get burnt do you?"

"Oh no of course not," she said uncertainly coming to kneel beside him as he continued to lie on his stomach wearing nothing more than a pair of swim trunks.

She shook some lotion into her hands and began rubbing it into the warm skin of his muscled back and shoulders.

When she was finished she felt like the temperature had suddenly gone up by about ten degrees.

Nathan looked at her flushed face and smiled.

"Thanks Hales I'll make sure I return the favour later."

Haley settled herself back down next to him but she no longer felt as relaxed as she had when they first arrived.

Eventually though as they lay there chatting about inconsequential things such as work and the weather she felt herself start to relax.

They were quite a distance out from shore now and the weather was perfect.

All was right with her world.

Slowly she felt herself drifting off to sleep and glancing over at Nathan she could see that he was very nearly asleep himself so allowed her eyes to drift shut and sleep to take over.

A little while later they were awoken by the sound of a gong announcing that lunch was ready.

Making their way over they surveyed the plentiful spread in front of them before digging in.

All this fresh sea air had given them quite an appetite.

Nathan walked to the small bar on board and came back with a glass of red wine for them each.

As she sipped her wine a large wave rocked the boat slightly and the contents of her glass sloshed all over the front of her white dress.

Looking down at the large stain Haley was horrified.

"Oh no Nathan look, now what am I going to do?

I can't walk around with wine all over my dress and I bet it's going to stain too.

Maybe you were right I should have bought my swimsuit at least then I would have something else to change into rather than walking around in a stained dress."

Nathan opened his backpack and pulled out a small bundle of material with a flourish.

"Your wish is my command," he said jokingly.

She stared at him incredulously.

"Where did you get that?" she asked him in disbelief.

"What this?" he asked hooking a finger through the string that held the two halves of the bikini bottom together and twirling it around his finger.

"I got it from your suitcase."

"No way," Haley said, "I didn't pack that.

Brooke tried to convince me to buy it but I wouldn't even try it on.

Brooke of course…." She trailed off as all the pieces came together.

Brooke had insisted on coming home with her the other day after lunch and then had told her she needed the bathroom but for some reason had gone to use the upstairs one instead of the one situated just across the hall.

Then when she had gone looking for her after some time had passed she had found her in the hall talking conspiratorially with Nathan.

"She bought this didn't she and she put it in my luggage and you knew all about it."

Nathan couldn't help but laugh at her horrified expression.

Putting his hands up in mock surrender he leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"Guilty as charged.

So what's my punishment going to be?"

"I don't know yet," she laughed "but I'm sure I'll come up with something."

"Ok," Nathan told her "I'll take my punishment like a man but can I make one small request.

Can you wear that while you're doling out my punishment?"

Haley for a moment stared at him in shock at his blatant sexual innuendo but then felt the laughter bubbling up in her throat.

"We'll see," she told him mock seriously.

"We'll see."

"So," he said hopefully "do you need some help putting it on?"

Haley laughed at his eagerness "Down Boy," she told him.

As much as she wanted to admonish him for speaking to her that way the truth was that she was enjoying the flirty banter that they were exchanging.

After all it was just a bit of harmless fun.

Taking the bikini from his hand she went below deck to get changed staring at herself critically in the mirror when she was finished.

The silvery blue colour immediately caught the eye and while it wasn't as indecent as she had originally expected it didn't exactly leave much to the imagination.

She tied the strings at each hip and the ones that went up behind her neck and felt a flutter of excitement go through her as she wondered what Nathan's reaction would be to her in this.

She didn't have long to wonder because as soon as she stepped back onto deck he was by her side whistling appreciatively along with a few of the boat hands who found themselves on the end of some death glares from Nathan.

Wrapping a possessive arm around her waist he led her back to their towels.

"I think it might be time for me to return the favour with the sun block don't you?"

Haley physically shivered at the husky sound of his voice as he said those words.

The touch of his hands against the bare skin of her shoulders caused her to yelp in surprise but before long she was moaning in undisguised pleasure as his hands worked their magic on her body.

It never ceased to amaze her the effect he could have on her with such a simple touch.

After all he was only rubbing sun block into the bare skin of her back and yet she felt as if her every nerve ending was on fire.

It took every ounce of her self-control not to roll onto her back and pull him down on top of her but as much as she wanted to she somehow controlled herself.

She couldn't do that in front of all the other guests no matter how much she might want to it was bad enough that the older couple sitting just across from them had heard her moan.

The last thing she needed was to make even more of a spectacle of herself.

Nathan finally finished his ministrations and she breathed a sigh of relief that was quickly followed by a gasp as she felt his lips brush across the nape of her neck in a fleeting kiss.

"All done Hales," he told her as he settled himself back onto his own towel "and it looks like we're heading back to shore soon" he said noticing the deck hands busying themselves with preparations to head back.

As they lay side-by-side face down Haley was surprised to feel Nathan's fingers come out to thread themselves between hers.

Looking down at their joined hands she smiled to herself.

It just seemed right somehow.

They lay like that until they arrived back at the dock, gathering their belongings as they prepared to leave the boat.

"It's almost dinner time Hales shall we head straight to the restaurant,"

Haley looked down at her attire disparagingly "I think I might need to change first,"

"Alright," he said with a slight pout "if you have to,"

She laughed at his crestfallen expression.

"Why don't you go get us a table and I'll meet you down there shortly."

"Like I said earlier your wish is my command.

See you soon," he said before releasing her hand and allowing her to head back to her room.

She hurried up the stairs and changed quickly not wanting to be away from Nathan any longer than she had to be.

On her way back down she caught sight of a shaggy light brown head across the room and for a moment her breath caught in her throat.

_Don't be silly Haley of course it's not him._

But as she joined Nathan for dinner she found it hard to shake the unsettling feeling that pervaded her senses.

Pushing it out of her mind she allowed herself to enjoy Nate's company but every so often she would find herself scanning the crowded restaurant looking to see if perhaps her eyes had not been playing tricks on her and he was really here.

Eventually she allowed herself to relax once more as she became convinced that it had simply been her imagination working over time.

After finishing dinner they went outside and sat enjoying the balmy night talking quietly amongst themselves.

As it got later Nathan once again took her hand and led her upstairs stopping outside her door he leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips.

"Night Hales, I'll see you in the morning at breakfast."

"See you there," she agreed.

"Sweet dreams," she added as he walked away.

"They always are when they involve you," he said with a smirk "although perhaps sweet isn't quite the right word to describe them."

"Nathan," she playfully admonished him but her own smile was huge in response to his smirk.

"See you in my dreams," he threw back over his shoulder as he entered his room.

Just down the hall someone watched this touching interlude and grimaced to himself.

Entering his own room he immediately picked up his phone.

"Hey it's me I have to get out of here now."

He cut off the surprised retort on the other end of the phone.

"Just do it.

She can't see me here."

**A.N How's that for a bit of a twist thrown in at the end? Told you that things are far from over. So I wonder who it is? Let me know what you think.**

**Spoilers:- Chapter Eighteen will be the chapter you have all been waiting for. Esp you Jess if your reviews are anything to go by.**


	17. Apology

**Author's Note.**

**Hey guys just wanted to apologise for the rather long interval of time between my last update and now. As most of you would know I was away for two weeks travelling around Europe. During this time I managed to write another eight chapters of my story so I can assure you that my lack of updates is not in any way a sign that I'm losing interest in this story. Instead it is actually down to a problem with my laptop that is preventing me from getting the chapters I have done off it. Plus there is the small matter of the fact that I found out on Sunday that I'm out of a job in less than two weeks and with the line of work that I do that also means homeless. So to put it mildly Ihave been a little distracted. Anyway I can promise that there are updates coming in the near future and I hope you will all continue reading and reviewing when they are posted.**

**Once again sorry for the delay. Hope you can forgive me.**

**Ange x.**


	18. Let's Get Physical

**A.N Hey guys I'm back. I've decided screw the job hunt for the moment. I want to update. So here it is and I hope it was worth the wait. Just a quick note to Katrina who although she hasn't actually technically reviewed has been wanting an update. Here it is and I hope you enjoy it just make sure when you move back to Oz in just over a week that you keep reading and start reviewing. I'd love to know what you think of the story and the twists and turns I have planned.**

**I also just want to say a special thankyou to those of you who have emailed and reviewed to wish me luck getting a new job. Thankyou so much Jess, Malissa, Hilary, Kat, Nats, Amy, Britt,Karin, HipHopper92, hesfadedme and unfolddream. It meant a lot to me. I hope I haven't forgotten anyone. Apologise if I have.**

**One more thing to all of you out there in reader land. I'm not sure if there is actually anyone out there who has not read this story but if by some miracle you haven't take my advice and after reading and reviewing this chapter of course go and read When It Comes by Gooseless. It is seriously the best fan fic I have ever read and certainly puts this meagre effort to shame. Trust me read it you will not be disappointed.**

**kaos 2405 **Your wish is my command. Just hope it lives up to expectations.. But this means that its your turn to update again soon. Hope things are ok with work. Maybe this chapter will bring a smile to your face since I have finally given you what you wanted and Naley are finally getting down and dirty.

**heather dawn **Sorry to keep you waiting so long. Well hopefully you will consider this a prolonged perfect ending of their perfect afternoon. Interesting theory on who was watching her and how he got there but I guess you'll just have to wait and see. Its not time yet to let that particular cat out of the bag.

**catc20 **Wow I'm so loving the long detailed reviews that you leave. It really makes my day when I get them and see that someone has taken the time to delve so deeply into the chapter and what aspects of it they enjoyed and even which ones they didn't although (fingers crossed) I don't think I've had any comments yet on something you didn't like. I'm glad that you enjoyed the stunt Brooke pulled and the fluffy Naley stuff. I will give you one small word of warning make the most of this chapter because there is a lot of drama ahead but as you said if they can get through it then it will only make their love stronger. Guess we'll have to wait and see whether they can.

**MeSpikeAndAngelinA3sum** Glad you enjoyed the last chapter. I hope this one lives up to expectations. .

**Britt** Hey Britt I'm really glad that you are enjoying this story so much. What did you mean when you said you had a problem reviewing with this story I was a little confused by that. Sorry about the wait on this chapter and I hope you continue to enjoy it and let me know what you think.

**HipHopper92** I know you're really looking forward to seeing the twist but I'm afraid you're going to have to wait a bit longer. Hopefully this chapter will tide you over until I'm ready to reveal one of the many twists and turns I have planned in this story. Enjoy and tell me what you think.

**hilaryhilary** Now, now Hilary there is no need for threats I never said it was Josh of course I didn't say it wasn't either. Enjoy the chapter.

**unfolddream** I really like how you comment on individual aspects of particular chapters to tell me what you like. It really helps me when I get an idea of what sort of things people are enjoying. Thanks for reading and reviewing so regularly.

**hesfadedme** Glad you enjoy a bit of scandal because I can assure you that there will be plenty more of that to come. Let's face it, it wouldn't be one of my stories without some sort of intrigue thrown in. Thanks for the review.

**kennedy** Thanks for the overwhelming support once again. I'm glad your friend enjoyed my story but tell her that if she wants to start sending reviews herself she will be more than welcome. I never say no to a new reviewer. Glad you enjoyed it and sorry to make youwait so long for a new chapter. Real life can be such a pain.

**Cap'n Keira Sparrow** Congratulations you were the only reviewer who didn't automatically assume that it was Josh who saw them. Not of course that I'm saying it wasn't or that it was for that matter but it was good to have someone thinking outside of the box. Sorry to keep you waiting so long for an update. Hope it's worth the wait for you.

**TinyDancer7 **Hey Amanda, sorry about the long wait between updates but real life insisted on intruding. Nathan and Haley definitely seem to be taking some strides forward in their relationship but just remember I do have a penchant for throwing a spanner into the works at a most inopportune time.. As for whether it was Josh watching her well unfortunately you are going to have to wait a little longer to have that particular mystery solved. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

**cherrymfzb** Hey Kat thanks for all the reviews I'm glad you're still enjoying the story. Sorry to leave it at such a cliffhanger but you know what they say 'always leave them wanting more'. I'd love to hear who your guess was for who was on the phone so feel free to share it with me. Now as with all the other requests for some major Naley action your wait is finally over. Hope it's worth it.

**Jenna **Wow thanks for the compliment. I'm glad you are enjoying the story so much and I'm so sorry that I have taken so long to update but I promise its been killing me too. Hope the chapter was worth the wait. Can't wait to hear what you think.

**kate** I'm glad you are enjoying the story so much and I'm sorry for the long wait between updates but real life decided to interfere. Hope it's worth the wait. Looking forward to hearing what you think of this chapter.

**doodlebah** yes I'm afraid you are just going to have to wait and see about the mystery man. Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Chapter 18 **

As she went down to meet Nathan for breakfast the next morning Haley could hardly contain the huge grin that covered her face.

For the first time since she had left Tree Hill all those years ago she finally felt as if whatever it was that had been missing from her life in Chicago was in place.

The afternoon on the boat had been perfect and it had been capped off with a wonderful dinner in the hotel restaurant.

She had loved spending timewith Nathan the night before but had struggled to shake off the uneasiness that had plagued her since that possible sighting of the one person she never wanted to see again and had found herself unconsciously searching amongst the other diners for his face.

By the end of the night she had managed to convince herself that it had simply been a case of her eyes playing tricks on her and had been able to relax and simply enjoy being with Nathan again.

Her smile faltered a little asthe unpleasant image of his face flickered across her mind but she quickly pushed it aside determined not to let him spoil this day the way he had spoilt so many in her past.

Spotting Nathan sitting at a table waiting for her she paused for a moment laughing to herself as she saw the constant parade of women sashaying past his table hoping to catch his eye but Nathan it appeared had failed to notice this bevy of beauties and instead sat staring into his coffee.

As if sensing her arrival he looked up smiling as he saw her making her way towards him dressed in a bikini top and sarong.

He stood up as she approached "Hey Hales did you have a good sleep?"

"Yeah I did.

Did you?"

"Could have been better…. if you were with me.

Although I guess neither one of us would have got much sleep if that had been the case."

She laughed off his statement even though she had lain awake for aquite a whilethe night before thinking about him and imagining what it would be like to be with him again.

"So," he said "any thoughts on what you want to do today?"

"No not really."

"Good," he said "Because I know exactly what you and I are going to spend the day doing."

"Oh really,"

"Yeah so I hope you're up for some physical activity."

"What sort of activity did you have in mind?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out."

She smiled at the banter that had once again become so effortless between them.

It really seemed as if things were finally back on track between them.

"So how about we eat and then we can get started.

You're going to need all the energy you can get for what I have planned."

Leading her over to the buffet he watched as she heaped her plate.

"You know I always did like a woman with an appetite as long, of course,as it's not limited to food."

She laughed again "Wow you're just full of jokes this morning."

"Who said I was joking Hales?"

Laughing at her shocked expression he followed her back to the table.

After eating they headed back to their rooms to prepare for the day ahead.

Nathan had told Haley that she would need to change her clothes for what he had planned but that was the only clue he had given her.

Telling her he would meet her downstairs he left her at her room and went downstairs to organise the surprise.

When she arrived downstairs ten minutes later she nearly fell over in shock.

"You have got to be kidding me," she sputtered taking in the sight of him standing with two bicycles and a large backpack at his feet.

"What's the matter Hales don't you like my surprise?"

"Uh its not that I'm just a little shocked.

When you said it would be a physical activity this wasn't quite what I had in mind."

"Why didn't you say so Hales?

I've got no problem spending the day in bed if that's what you would prefer.

I'm sure we could get quite a workout there."

"No that's fine Nathan.

I'm quite happy to go for a ride."

He raised an eyebrow at her suggestively "Oh I could give you a hell of a ride Hales."

Ignoring his comment she moved over to one of the bikes looking at it dubiously.

"I haven't been on one of these things in years.

What if I don't remember how?"

Looking over at him as he stood grinning at her confidently she could almost detect some of that old arrogance in him and she knew in that moment that he expected her to chicken out.

Taking a deep breath she walked over to the bike and placed a leg over it.

"Alright let's go."

Taken by surprise at her actions he took a moment before he moved over to his own bike and climbed on.

"Lets do it." he said pedalling away from the hotel leisurely looking back to see if she was following.

Slightly wobbly she rode off after him uttering a silent prayer that she would make it through this day unscathed.

They rode at a leisurely pace for the next two hours stopping every half hour or so to have a drink and rest for a bit not that Nathan really needed it Haley noticed enviously as she panted unattractively.

Haley had her head down gasping for breath as they rode through some dense foliage.

Looking up briefly she spotted a clearing up ahead and could only hope that Nathan intended to stop for another rest there.

There was a roaring in her ears and she found herself silently promising that if Nathan would just stop soon then she would join a gym as soon as she returned home.

She hadn't realised just how unfit she was until she had tried to match herself with Nathan and while he was barely even breaking a sweat she felt like she was going to collapse any second.

Looking up she saw that he had in fact decided to stop.

She slammed on her brakes trying desperately not to run into the back of him.

Skidding to a stop she looked up wondering what had caused Nathan to stop like that and found herself facing one of the most beautiful waterfalls she had ever seen.

The water cascaded down over the rocks forming a pool at the bottom and the noise from it was almost deafening

Well at least that explains the roaring in my ears.

Uncaring of what he thought she climbed off the bike collapsing onto the ground for a well earned rest.

He stood above her smiling at her predicament.

"It's not funny," she panted.

"I never said it was," he told her with another grin.

Slowly she regained her breath and the use of her legs and walked over to where he was pulling items from his backpack and spreading them out onto a picnic blanket that must have also come from the backpack.

"So," he said stepping back to admire his handiwork "what do you think?"

Looking at the spread in front of her Haley had to admit that he had done well although in all likelihood he had done nothing more then collect the ready prepared food from the hotel that morning.

The sheer volume of food laid out was impressive in its own right.

There was roast chicken, bread, cheeses, everything you could possibly need to make a salad and an abundance of fresh tropical fruits some of which she didn't even recognise.

She could even see some chocolates for them to have when they finished and just to make things perfect there was a bottle of wine for them to share.

Pulling out the glasses with a flourish he poured her a glass and gestured to the rug beside him.

Accepting the glass she sank down beside him "This is perfect Nathan."

"It is isn't it," he agreed smugly.

They ate in silence simply content to be there with each other.

"You know," she said breaking the silence "A month ago I would never have dreamed that we would be here together like this."

"Yeah I know" he agreed "A lot has happened."

"I'm glad it did," she said "but…"

"But what Hales if you're about to say that you regret what happened between us then you can...?"

"Its not that I regret it," she hastened to reassure him "But I just can't help but think this has been almost too easy for us to pick up where we left off.

What if something happens?"

"We can't live our lives worried about what ifs Hales we just have to make the most of what we've got and hope that things will work out this time."

She seemed so relaxed and for a moment he considered asking her what had happened last time that had caused her to leave so suddenly but he felt an inexplicable sense of dread of what her answer might be and decided to leave that conversation to another time.

He didn't want anything to spoil this day.

Looking over at her as she lay back in the sun he could see that she was getting sleepy and moved over to lay beside her.

Pulling her head down on his chest he stroked her hair feeling her relax against him as sleep overtook her.

Closing his own eyes he couldn't remember a time in the last five years that he had felt so at peace.

Her words from earlier played again in his mind "_What if something happens_?" but he pushed those thoughts aside, right now he had her back and that was all that mattered.

Alone in their own corner of paradise they slept unhindered by the presence of others.

Haley's face creased in consternation as a trickle of sweat made its way down her face and moving against him uncomfortably she woke up.

It was so hot even in this little clearing and sitting up she looked longingly at the pool of water in front of her.

Looking down at Nathan she could see that he was still lost in sleep and reaching a fast decision she stood up shedding her shorts and tank top and making her way down to the pool.

Dipping a toe into the water she discovered just as she had suspected that the water was cool and refreshing.

Allowing herself no time to change her mind she stepped in up to her waist allowing the water to swirl around her nearly naked body.

Diving under the water she swam to where the waterfall was, relishing the feel of the cool water soothing her overworked muscles.

Feeling refreshed she climbed up onto a rock lying back with the sun beating down onto her body.

_This is heaven_ she thought _no obnoxious teenagers to backchat me and Nathan and I are alone in a tropical paradise_.

Feeling a pair of hands latching onto her waist she started in surprise.

Opening her eyes she discovered Nathan in the water in front of her.

"Nathan I didn't think you'd be awake."

"Yeah well thank goodness I was there is no way I would have wanted to miss a sight like this.

Now how about you and that gorgeous body of yours join me in the water?"

She hesitated only for a moment before sliding off the rock and down into the water with him.

Sliding an arm around her waist he pulled her close to his body allowing her to feel the beginnings of his erection.

She gasped in surprise as she realised he was naked under the water.

"Don't act so shocked," he told her "I've told you plenty of times how you affect me.

I've even tried to show you.

Maybe now you will believe me."

"I do believe you Nathan I just don't know what you expect from me." She told him honestly.

"I don't expect anything Hales except for you to start being honest with yourself and me about what you want.

I think you know what I want" he told her"and if you are honest you'll admit that it's time for us to be together again."

Not wanting to waste any more time talking she raised her head up to meet his eyes and nodded in silent assent.

He looked at her questioningly for a moment hardly able to believe that she may actually be agreeing to this.

"Yes Nathan its time we did this."

He needed no further invitation and captured her lips immediately in a kiss that surpassed all others that they had ever shared.

Nibbling lightly at her lower lip he silently begged for entrance she paused only for a moment before inviting his tongue into her mouth eagerly caressing it with her own.

He groaned into her mouth before gathering her in even more closely to his own body.

Releasing her lips his mouth hungrily searched for the apex between her shoulder and neck sucking and nibbling at the skin and feeling her squirm in enjoyment against him.

Her hands slid down over his taut buttocks and she scraped her nails against the sensitive skin and felt him thrust against her in response.

Sliding his hand inside her bikini bottoms he found her most sensitive spot immediately and began to stroke her intoxicatingly.

She pushed herself against his hand and was gratified to feel one of his fingers slip inside.

He moved his finger in and out slowly at first gathering speed as he felt her excitement increase.

Her fingernails bit into his shoulders and she tipped back her head and squealed in excitement.

"Don't stop Nathan."

He placed another finger inside of her and she moaned in pleasure.

She moved her hand down to rest on his gently pulling it away.

"No Nathan, I want you, I want all of you inside of me."

She had barely finished speaking when she felt him pressing against her entrance.

She wrapped a leg around his waist to allow him to enter her more fully and revelled in his groan of appreciation.

Feeling him thrust up inside of her slowly at first then harder and faster she could feel her climax rising inside of her.

"Just a bit more Nathan."

With one final thrust from him she was screaming her release as he joined her moments later.

There was nothing tender about their joining it had come about after so long apart and was an expression of all the pent up feelings that they had been fighting for so long.

It had been quick and passionate and Haley knew she would not change a single thing about it.

Her legs felt boneless and she clung to him unable to support her own weight.

His hands caressed softly over her back and she shivered in response to the combination of his heated skin and the cool water.

His lips were buried in her shoulder and he sighed in contentment.

"That was unbelievable" she sighed.

"Yeah it was," he agreed "Come on," he offered her his hand leading her out of the pool and back up on to the bank pulling her down beside him to lay in the sun allowing the warm rays to dry their skin.

As Haley lay beside him for a moment an image of Josh flickered through her mind and she knew that although she should feel an incredible guilt for cheating on him the truth was that she now believed that what had happened between her and Nathan had been inevitable.

It was almost as if it was pre-destined since the day Nathan had appeared in Frank Logan's office she had subconsciously known that this would happen.

For a long time she had tried to fight against the feelings that had been aroused in her by his presence but she had known that even as she had been saying no, in her mind she had been screaming yes.

She didn't quite know what her future held but she was no longer sure whether Josh was the person that she should be sharing it with.

Rolling over she rested her head on Nathan's chest and he stroked his fingers through her hair pressing a kiss to her forehead before he spoke.

"What's on your mind Hales?

You seem to be lost in thought."

"Just thinking how perfect everything is."

"Good," he said "Just what I was thinking."

Hours later they lay wrapped around each other in his bed exhausted from the days exertions.

A gentle smile graced Haley's lips as she lay close to Nathan finally back where she belonged.

Suddenly she jerked violently in her sleep hitting out at the empty air above her as if fighting off an unseen enemy.

Her voice came in an anguished whisper "No Tim, no don't, stop it."

As if aware of her distress even in his sleepNathan gathered her in closer to his body mumbling into her hair, "I love you Hales".

She quietened down and once more slid into dreamless sleep content in Nathan's arms.

**Spoilers:- Nathan and Haley have some fun rediscovering each other, Dinner at Paolo's and a surprise visit.**


	19. Reality Vs Fantasy

**A.N Ok I wasn't actually intending to update today but with so many reviews in the last couple of days how could I not. I have been so shocked by how positive they all were because I truly thought that the last chapter was sub standard and had been driving myself nuts trying to fix it and not knowing how. A special thanks to pinkpony who reviewed nearly every chapter right from the start. Its always interesting to hear what people think of the story when they actually get to read the story so far in one hit. Well I'm going to keep this short and sweet. I'm a bit hungover and extremely tired as I was out getting drunk for my birthday yesterday and spent today going to job interviews. Hope you enjoy it. Oh one more thing there seems to be a bit of confusion about the mention of Tim at the end of the last chapter. I promise you will find out soon enough what he has to do with the story and as for the reason he hasn't been mentioned before well hopefully that will become clear too. What can I say I like to have a bit of intrigue in amongst all the sex I write. Ok so much for keeping this short but just thought I should let you know that Paolo's restaurant now has a name in tribute to my time in Rome the other week and the fantastic restaurant I ate at.**

**Michelle** I'm glad you enjoyed it. It was definitely time for some action between them. As for Josh well this chapter should answer any questions you have about whether or not he will remain involved in the story. The mention of Tim was deliberate. I just waited till now to bring him into it. He has a certain role to play in this story. Hope you enjoy this chapter and will look forward to hearing what you think.

**heather dawn** Wow that was an enthusiastic response considering I thought the last chapter was definitely sub standard. I've decided not to keep you waiting so hope you enjoy this one just as much. Thanx for the support about my job situation too.

**hilaryhilary** No they didn't quite get that far in the supply closet. Very close but not quite. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Good to see the threats are still coming through. Not that I listen. LOL.

**Britt** Thanx for explaining and thankyou so much for that review. It makes my day when I get a review like that one. I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much. They are so seemingly perfect aren't they. Pity it can't last for them.

**hesfadedme** Glad you enjoyed it and thanx for the compliment.

**pinkpony** Ok so I take it you like the story. Its great to have a new reviewer and I loved the reviews that you sent. Plus you were the only person to hazard a guess as to what the bit at the end of Chapter 19 was about. Good job. Looking forward to hearing what you think of this chapter and the ones to follow.

**MeSpikeAndAngelinA3sum **Wow that was an effusive review Nats. Thankyou so much. I really didn't think that last chapter was very good so I was a bit surprised by your review but very grateful. Hope you continue to enjoy all the other chapters just as much. Because you can leave reviews like that whenever you want. LOL.

**JAELI** You ask I deliver. Two chapters in just overtwo days. Its great to have a new reviewer and I hope you continue to enjoy the story. I'll look forward to hearing what you think about the next chapters. As for Haley's secret I promise it's not going to be too much longer before you will all know the truth.

**Kate** Glad you enjoyed it. It was about time the two of them gave into all that obvious passion. You'll find out soon enough who was at the Hotel. I hope you enjoy this chapter too. Thanx for the review.

**Cap'n Keira Sparrow** I'm really glad you think so because I truly didn't think that last chapter was very good.

**kaos2405 **Yes well I think we'd probably all like to be in Haley's shoes at the moment although I'm not sure you'll still feel that way as the story progresses. I loved the latest chapter of your story so hope you are busy typing away even as I write this so I can see what happens next.

**Chapter Nineteen**

When Haley awoke the next morning she remained where she was not wanting to move and risk breaking the wonderful moment that allowed her to once again be in Nathan's arms.

It was so hot laying there with the light cotton of the sheet sticking to her naked skin but the ocean breeze fluttering the curtains caressed her skin as she threw off the sheet and she knew there was no place she would rather be at that moment.

Feeling movement at her back she turned her head smiling at him over her shoulder.

"Good morning," she said.

"It is indeed," he agreed .

"Its late," she told him "if we're going to have breakfast we really should get up."

"I'm quite comfortable here and the only appetite I've got at the moment I'm pretty sure can be satisfied right here in this bed."

"You want to order room service," she teased.

"Not on your life I have everything I want right here," he said lightly.

Leaning his head down he nibbled gently on her shoulder.

"Unless _you_ really want to get out of this bed?"

"No," she giggled "that's the _last_ thing I want to do right now."

"Good," he said "because I was prepared to tie you up if need be."

"Ooh" she said "that sounds interesting maybe we can try that later."

"Don't tempt me," he laughed.

"Don't worry Nathan I'm not going anywhere."

Moving away from him she lay on her back and watched as he ran an admiring gaze down her body.

Tracing a finger over her collar bone he smiled as he saw her shiver in response to his touch.

Moving over her he straddled her and allowed his tongue to follow the path of his finger.

"Ummm" she said "Why do I get the feeling we're not going to be venturing far from this bed today?"

"You figured that out huh?"

In response she scraped her fingernails over his back recalling how he had always enjoyed that in the past.

His eyes lit up at her touch and feeling emboldened she pushed lightly at his chest.

"Roll over," she said "It's my turn to be on top."

Complying eagerly with her request he moved onto his back grasping her hips as she moved to straddle him.

She ran her fingers lightly over his chest stopping briefly to play with the silver ring in his nipple.

Continuing her exploration she stroked the muscles of his stomach and then allowed her hand to drop lower wrapping it around his length and enjoying the look of rapture on his face as she began to move her hand gently up and down and stroked her thumb over his tip.

Leaning over she teased his hard nipple with her tongue and heard him moan in appreciation.

Quickening the tempo of the movement of her hand she felt him harden in response and felt a certain pride that she was able to invoke such a response from him.

Not saying a word she moved herself over him hovering above him just for a moment before sliding down encasing his length inside of her.

Lifting herself up slightly she slid back down, repeating the movement over and over gradually picking up speed.

His hands grasped her hips and held her in place as he thrust up into her one last time before exploding inside of her sending her into raptures of her own.

She collapsed down onto his chest temporarily spent and felt his arms encircle her.

"Wow," he said after a few minutes of silence only interrupted by their laboured breathing "can we wake up like that every morning."

"I'll see what I can arrange," she said with a laugh raising her head from his chest to look at him.

"So" she said "What else are we going to do today since I guess we're going to get up now?"

"Who said anything about getting up?

As far as I'm concerned we're just getting started."

"Really?" she said with a slight air of disbelief.

"Yeah," he said "its time for me to return the favour."

"Favour?" she inquired curiously.

"Lay back and I'll be only too happy to show you what I mean." He said moving to lie on top of her and treating her left breast to the exquisite pleasure of his tongue and lips.

Several hours later they lay completely sated.

The rest of their holiday was spent in much the same way.

After five years apart they could barely get enough of each other and left their room only when it became necessary for food.

On one occasion they decided to go for a swim in the hotel pool but found themselves unable to control their lust for each other even in the presence of others and soon had to return to their room at the request of staff in deference to the feelings of other guests.

When the day came a week and a half later that it was time to return to Tree Hill Haley couldn't help but feel a certain sense of dread about what their return to reality could hold in store for them.

Things had been so perfect between them and she couldn't help but worry what the intrusion of real life could do the paradise that they had been experiencing.

Nathan noticed her consternation and commented on it.

"Hales what's wrong?"

"Nothing" she said injecting a false cheer into her voice but he was not so easily fooled.

"Hales come on talk to me if something is bothering you then we need to be able to talk about it otherwise these last two weeks have been in vain."

"I don't know" she told him "I guess I'm just worried about what will happen when we get back to Tree Hill.

I can't shake this feeling that something is going to go wrong and spoil things between us."

What she wasn't telling Nathan was that although she had been very happy being back with him a niggling doubt had remained in her mind throughout their time together.

It was mainly due to the fact that despite all the time they had spent together they still had not really sat down and had a meaningful conversation.

Sure they had talked but their conversations had centred around the inconsequential as if they were both afraid of what could happen if they were to speak frankly with each other and although Haley had done her best to block it from her mind the spectre of their past still hovered over their heads and the reason she had left five years ago remained unspoken.

Nathan too was keeping his thoughts close to his chest and had continued to be plagued by curiosity and fear about her disappearance from his life five years ago and the reasons behind it.

However neither of them were prepared to share these thoughts with each other and so both pretended to themselves and to each other that everything was once again perfect between them.

The flight home was a nervous affair for both of them the tension only relieved when Haley went to the bathroom halfway through the flight and Nathan followed minutes later.

Their entry to the mile high club was frantic and filled with desperation as if both knew that when they arrived home things between them were set to change once again.

When the plane landed they both remained in their seats neither wanting to leave the relative safety of the plane to confront the reality that they were sure lay in wait for them back in Tree Hill.

Finally they were the last ones left on the plane and were forced to gather their belongings and enter the terminal.

Nathan pasted a bright smile on his face and led Haley by the hand into the terminal building to collect their luggage before going to his car and driving back to Tree Hill.

The drive was filled with almost manic small talk from them both neither of them wanting to allow a moment of silence to fall between them that would allow them to dwell on their own thoughts.

It was approaching dark as they arrived at the outskirts of Tree Hill and wanting to prolong their return home as long as possible they went out to eat.

Arriving at the restaurant they had gone out to eat at only a few weeks before they were greeted enthusiastically by Paulo.

"Nathan my friend and Haley Bella you both look so tanned.

"I'm so happy to see you."

Haley smiled enthusiastically at the older man grateful for the distraction that he would offer.

"Paolo it's good to see you too.

I guess we are kind of brown at the moment we've just got back from Barbados."

"Oh," Paolo said with a knowing twinkle to his eye.

"A practice honeymoon perhaps?"

Haley blushed as Nathan responded with a smirk.

"Paolo trust me we don't need any practice although I never say no to a little extra curricular activity."

Paolo laughed at Nathan's comment and Haley felt herself start to relax asshe decided that she had simply been filled with regret that their time in paradise had to end and had transferred those feelings into dread.

_After all what could possibly happen?_

Feeling relieved she joined in on the joking going on between Nathan and Paolo.

Paolo left them for a moment and when he returned he brought with him a bottle of the restaurants best Merlot on the house.

"A gift for you from Trattoria Angelo's."

"Oh Paolo you shouldn't have," Haley gushed.

"It's my restaurant and I want you to have it.

That is all that matters."

"Thanks Paolo man we really appreciate it." Nathan said in gratitude.

"Hey," said Paolo "I just like seeing the two of you so happy together again.

You left so suddenly the last time you were here I was worried for you."

"Everything's fine Paolo," Nathan said hurriedly not wanting to think about what had caused them to leave so suddenly when they had last visited Trattoria Angelo's.

"I just wasn't feeling that well so we had to leave quickly."

"Oh," said Paolo "Such a shame you danced together so beautifully."

"Yeah well we will definitely be doing some dancing tonight," Haley said "and I promise we won't rush off so quickly this time."

"Good good," said Paolo "now I must leave you to choose your meals but I will be back to see you before you go."

"Thanks Paolo," they said in unison smiling at him as he left.

They took their time perusing the menus even though they probably both knew the menu almost by heart.

Selecting what they wanted to eat they gave their orders to the waiter hovering nearby and relaxed back content to soak in the atmosphere of their favourite restaurant.

They ate leisurely and lingered over their dessert and coffee before heading out to the dance floor.

He held her close as they danced his hands caressing over her back and she sighed in contentment placing her head on his shoulder.

Everything between them was going to be fine she was now sure of it.

"I've had a great time the last two weeks Hales I'm really glad we did this."

"So am I Nathan it's been wonderful."

Looking around they saw that they were almost the only customers remaining in the restaurant.

"I guess we should find Paolo and get going," he suggested.

"Yeah," Haley agreed almost regretfully not wanting their night to come to an end.

Walking back to their table she collected her purse and looked around for Paolo.

Seeing him over near the bar they made their way over to him.

Haley grabbed him in an impulsive hug much to the older man's embarrassment.

"Thank you for a wonderful night Paolo it was the perfect way to finish off our holiday."

"Haley Bella you know that the two of you are always welcome here.

I love to see you in my restaurant."

"Thanks Paolo man we'll see you again soon."

"Ciao Nathan.

Ciao Bella.

I see you soon huh?"

"Yes Paolo you certainly will."

Nathan wrapped his arm around her as they walked out.

"Do you want to go home now?"

"Not really," she told him honestly "I'd rather go to the beach or somewhere."

He shrugged "sounds good to me.

Shall we go?"

"Yeah," she agreed.

Getting into the car they drove through the town and down to the coast.

Kicking off her shoes as she reached the sand she slipped her hand into Nathan's and they walked down the beach for about half a mile before sitting down.

Nathan sat first pulling Haley to sit between his legs and wrapping his arms around her waist.

She laid her head back against him and his chin rested on her shoulder.

She trailed her fingers lightly up and down over the hard muscles of his thigh, clearly present through the thin denim of hisjeans,and felt his warm breath on her neck.

He bent his head and nibbled gently at her ear lobe.

Turning to face him she parted her lips in anticipation of his kiss.

Hewasted no timeand claimed her lips immediately in a searing kiss.

She leaned her head back into the crook of his arm and he followed her down deepening their kiss.

Breaking away for a moment she lay back on the beach beforegrabbing his handand pulling him down on top of her.

His hand slid up under her top stroking the smooth skin of her abdomen.

She moved her hands up under his shirt and he pulled back slightly allowing her to remove his top before also removing hers.

He stroked her breast through the thin material of her bra rolling her nipple between his thumb and fore finger before trailing his fingers lower over her abdomen and lower still to the waistband of her jeans.

Undoing her jeans he waited for her to lift her hips enough to allow him to slowly slide her jeans down.

Kneeling between her legs he bent his head to caress the lips of her entrance with his tongue.

She moaned in pleasure as she felt his tongue slip inside of her and pushed herself against his mouth wanting his tongue to enter her even further.

She tilted her hips up allowing him better access and he obliged.

Licking and nibbling until he felt her hips start to rock with convulsions.

Only when he was certain that he had pleasured her fully did he ease back and smile up at her.

He'd almost forgotten what it was like to see the way she smiled at him when she was feeling sexually satisfied and was enjoying once again seeing her so content.

Moving his gaze down over her body he frowned slightly as he noticed the goose bumps forming on her skin from the cold.

She continued to lie there smiling up at him apparently not even aware of the cold although he suspected it was possibly slightly to do with the wine from Paoloand not just the pleasure he himselfhad bought her.

_Well not totally anyway._

He struggled for a moment to shake off the self satisfied smirk he wore beforestanding andgathering her clothes and helping her to dress quickly.

"Come on," he said "lets go home where you can return the favour.

"Sounds good," she agreed "but can we go to my place first I'd like to pick up some clean clothes."

"If you have to," he mock complained "But I've got no problem with you going without."

She slapped his arm playfully.

"You might not but I'm not sure your mother would agree."

"Damn," he said with a crestfallen expression "I knew there was some reason why I shouldn't let her stay with me.

You could always just stay in bed all day."

She laughed again "Well as tempting as that is I think I'd still like to go and get some clothes.

Jimmy should be finished the work on the house by now so at least I won't be hunting around in the dark."

"I don't know darkness can have its advantages," Nathan told her laughing at her mock outraged expression.

"So can light," she quipped.

Driving back to her house the mood was light as they laughed and joked.

As they turned into her street Nathan's cell phone rang.

Pulling it out of his pocket he answered it listening for a moment before he responded.

"Hey Luke man, yeah we're back."

He paused listening to his brother's words before continuing.

"Yeah Barbados was great."

He pulled into her driveway not noticing the car already parked in the drive.

He stayed where he was talking to Luke as Haley got out of the car heading towards the house.

As she approached the house the car door opened and she was confronted with the exact thing she had been dreading all day, the one thing that could end her and Nathan's idyllic existence of the past two weeks.

Josh smiled at her happily looking genuinely pleased to see her as he walked towards her embracing her warmly.

"Haley it's so good to see you."

Nathan sat in the car and his mouth dropped open.

"Luke I have to go man something's very wrong here.

I don't know what the fuck's going on but I don't like it."

**Spoilers:- Nathan tries to come to terms with Josh's arrival, Haley pays Nathan a late night visit and Deb's in for a rude shock.**


	20. A Late Night Visitor

**A.N Hey guys well since I have no idea where I will be living or staying as of this weekend I thought I better take advantage of all the internet access and give you as many updates as I possibly can. I hope you enjoy the chapters that are to come and the frequency of the updates makes a nice change. Lookingforward to hearing what you all think in some nice long reviews.**

**heather dawn** I hope this one is worth the wait too and I'm so glad that you enjoyed the last one so much. Thanx for the birthday wishes. No luck on the job front yet but I'll keep trying.

**Cap'n Keira Sparrow** Glad you enjoyed the chapter and hopefully this one will give you a bit more of an insight into Haley and Josh's relationship.

**MeSpikeAndAngelinA3sum** Well to use your words Nats _Ah. Yet again another_ awesome review. You sure know how to bring a smile to my face. I'm afraid I can't answer the question as to how I do it because to be honest I'm still surprised every time someone actually enjoys what I write. Things were going along rather nicely for Naley weren't they but hey whats the fun in reading or writingabout the perfect relationship. Have to throw in a bit of drama and upheaval every now and then to keep things interesting. I actually listened for once and didn't keep any of you waiting very long for an update. Figured I better update as much as I can this week because who knows when I will get a chance to do so again.

**Jenna** Everytime without fail I read one of your reviews and I find myself with a huge grin on my face. It's so great when you hear that someone is really enjoying your story that much. Just hope that I manage to continue at the standard you obviously now expect of me. I'm glad that you appreciate the updates but to be honest I do it as much for myself as I do it for you guys. Gives me something to distract myself from all the shit going on. Thankyou so much for your best wishes regarding my job situation. To be honest its been a bit of a nightmare to put it mildly but I guess these things happen. Anyway enough about me I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'll look forward to another one of those smile inspiring reviews.

**JAELI** Wow once again a very enthusiastic review from you. I'm so glad that you are getting so much enjoyment out of my attempt at writing. It was good to have some Naleyness but unfortunately if I just left them happy it would make for a bit of a boring storyline esp since I have plans to keep the story going for at least fifty chapters so I hope you're prepared to stick with it for the long haul. At least you can be happy that the updates should be nice and frequent this week. Can't wait to hear what you think of this chapter.

**Britt** No need to stress any longer now you can see for yourself what's going to happen and I haven't even made you wait very long for an update this time around. Thanx for the review.

**kennedy **Ok so I'm going to hazard a wild guess here and say that you liked it. Just kidding. Thankyou so much for the enthusiastic reviews that you always give. They make my day. Hope you enjoy this chapter too.

**hilaryhilary **Surely you can't be surprised by the fact that Josh made an appearance. He was bound to turn up sooner or later. So you really intend to not let me in on any of your future storylines huh. Oh well I guess that means there's no point in me emailing you as I was planning to do later to share some of what I have planned for this story. I did try to warn you that there were lots of twists and turns to come and believe me you haven't seen anything yet. Wonder what you will think of this chapter?

**Enjoy the chapter everyone and I'll look forward to hearing your thoughts on it. If anyone has any questions they want to ask about the storyfeel free to email me or ask in a review.**

**Chapter Twenty**

Haley stood limply in Josh's embrace unsure how she should respond although she wasn't looking at Nathan she could almost swear that she could feel his eyes boring holes into her back as he watched them.

Risking a quick glance over her shoulder she could see Nathan looking at her with an expression of disbelief.

Nathan saw Haley look back at him and the consternation on her face caused his heart to clench in his chest he knew from that one brief look at Haley's face that the man who still stood with his arms around her was the infamous Josh.

Although she looked uncomfortable with him she was making no effort to break away and that gave him the only answer he needed and without another thought he started the engine and roared out of her driveway not wanting to witness the reunion between the two former lovers.

As he drove his mind was filled with images from the last two weeks but the predominant image that kept coming back to him was that of five minutes ago, Haley in the arms of another man.

Oncoming headlights broke him out of his trance as he swerved back to his side of the road and braked sharply bringing the car to a stop.

He needed to get his head together before he attempted to go any further.

Hearing his cell phone ring again he looked down at it and was disappointed to see Lucas' name appear in the caller ID.

Answering it with an abrupt "Yeah," he waited for his brother to speak.

"Nathan are you ok?"

"Yeah I guess."

"What happened before?

You hung up so suddenly."

"Luke man you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me," Lucas urged.

So Nathan proceeded to tell his brother everything from when they had arrived in Barbados right up to the moment that he had pealed out of Haley's driveway leaving her there with Josh.

"Shit man what have I done.

I've just left her there with him."

"How can you even be sure that it was Josh?" Lucas asked perplexed.

"Trust me man one look at Haley's face and I knew."

"So what are you going to do?" Lucas' voice was filled with concern as he asked the one question that Nathan didn't have an answer to.

"I really don't know man.

I guess I should just go home and try to figure this all out."

"Ok Nate but if you want to talk just call or better yet come around."

"I will Luke.

Thanks."

Hanging up he started the engine and slowly drove home feeling more confused than he could ever remember feeling in the last five years.

He hadn't been this unsure of himself since Haley had left all those years ago and he didn't like revisiting these feelings one bit.

Arriving home he found his mother lying in wait.

As he entered Deb got up from sofa where she had obviously been awaiting their return.

"Nate honey it's so good to see you."

Then in her next breath she uttered the question he had been dreading more than any other.

"Where's Haley?"

Not wanting to get into a heavy discussion with Deb he kept his answer short.

"Uh she decided to stay at her place tonight Mom.

If you don't mind I'm really tired so I think I'll just head up to bed."

He walked out of the room not noticing Deb's forlorn expression.

"I really thought this holiday might be just what the two of them needed." she said with a sigh.

"I guess I was wrong."

Haley meanwhile was doing her best to act natural despite the unnatural situation she found herself in the middle of.

Never in her wildest dreams would she have expected to return from holiday with her lover to find her sort of fiancée waiting for her.

Josh seemed not to have noticed her preoccupation and was rambling on about how much he had missed her since she was away.

Finally he stopped to draw breath and she jumped in with a question of her own.

"So Josh how long will you be staying?"

He looked at her slightly perplexed that the first words she had offered after almost half an hour were simply a question about when he would be leaving.

"Uh I'm just here for a long weekend I'll be heading back in three days."

As yet he hadn't asked any questions about the man that she had been with when she arrived home that night but he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that there was something going on that he didn't know about and he was fairly certain that it involved the other man.

He didn't want to pressure Haley unnecessarily and so hoped that if there was indeed something going on that he should know about she would tell him voluntarily.

To the best of his knowledge she had never kept secrets from him before and he hoped that this would continue to be the case.

Haley could sense his unease and felt slightly guilty about it.

"I'm sorry that I've been so quiet Josh but I'm just really tired so I think I might just head to bed."

"Oh ok well I'll join you soon."

"Alright," she agreed unable to project any enthusiasm into her tone despite her best efforts.

Walking over to where he sat she pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek and left the room glad to be escaping the suffocating atmosphere of the room.

Going into the bedroom she quickly changed into some pajamas and buried herself under the covers praying that sleep would overtake her but it stubbornly eluded her.

Almost an hour later she heard the door open and Josh entered quietly doing his best not to disturb her sleep.

She kept her eyes closed wondering if like Nathan he would see through her pretence but Josh simply slid into bed beside her and settled down to sleep wrapping an arm around her waist.

Haley however did not find it so easy to go to sleep and found herself lying awake long after Josh had fallen asleep.

She didn't want to close her eyes because every time she did Nathan's confused expression danced across her mind and her own confusion grew.

Only weeks ago she had been so sure of her love for Josh and then the trip to Barbados had happened.

Now she wasn't sure of anything and found herself questioning things that mere weeks ago she had believed to be set in stone.

Her time in Barbados with Nathan while amazing if truth be toldhad not been real.

They had spent their time in a tropical paradise with none of the pressures of the real world and the simple fact was that they had failed to discuss anything of any great importance.

There was no way she could make any firm decision on their future relationship until they had really talked.

The only thing she knew for certain at this precise moment was that she could not spend another minute in this bed or she was going to go crazy.

Throwing the covers off her heated skin she slid out from under Josh's arm and crept out to the kitchen padding on her bare feet to where the phone lay on the kitchen bench.

Picking it up her fingers hovered over the buttons that would dial his number but she couldn't bring herself to push them.

Her fear of what he might say was overwhelming but even more frightening was the thought that he might not speak to her at all.

After the way he had left earlier she had to admit that this was a real possibility.

He hadn't even taken the time to remove any of her luggage from the back of his car so he still had at least half of her clothes.

Gathering her courage she forced herself to dial the numbers and when she heard his voice answer almost immediately she knew he too had been lying awake possibly waiting for this very call.

"Nathan, its Haley.

I hope it's not too late to be calling."

He inhaled deeply before launching into speech.

"Haley don't give me that shit.

Of course it's not too late to be calling."

She sighed with relief at least he was still talking to hereven ifhis tone was gruff.

He continued then and her sense of relief dissipated abruptly.

"As long as you're calling to tell me that Josh is gone.

I am right in thinking that that was Josh at your place when we arrived back aren't I?" he asked even though he was fairly certain that he knew the answer but he couldn't help but hope that maybe that man who had seemed so familiar with Haley was perhaps a brother or cousin who he had never met.

"Yes Nathan that was Josh."

"So is he gone?

Is that why you're calling me Hales?"

"Um not exactly" she admitted quietly.

"Then in that case I really don't think you and I have anything to talk about at the moment.

Call me when he's gone or you actually know what it is you want because correct me if I'm wrong but you have no idea what it is you really want at this moment do you Hales?"

He waited briefly for an answer and when none was forthcoming he hung up leaving Haley staring open mouthed at the phone unsure of what her next course of action should be.

She was fairly certain that if she tried to call him back now he wouldn't answer but she couldn't ignore the feeling that she really wanted and needed to talk to him.

Before she could reach any definite decision on what she should do she was interrupted by Josh's voice calling to her from the bedroom.

"Haley where are you?"

Placing the phone back onto the bench she turned towards the bedroom.

"I'm just getting a drink I'll be there in a minute."

"Ok," he called "hurry back."

Filling a glass with water she headedtowards the bedroomhesitating outside the door momentarilybefore forcingherself to push it open and take her place in bed with Josh.

Once again he put his arm around her and pulled her in close to his body.

"Sweetheart is something bothering you?

You really haven't seemed yourself since I've got here."

"No Josh I'm fine.

I'm just having trouble sleeping." She told him with what she hoped would pass as a reassuring smile.

"Ok as long as you're sure you don't need to talk.

You know I'm always happy to listen."

"Yeah I know Josh I'm fine really."

"Alright then, well maybe we can have a talk in the morning."

"Ok well goodnight."

"Night Haley sleep well."

She could feel his warm breath on her neck as he settled back into sleep and had to restrain the urge to move away from him in the bed.

Across town Nathan lay wide awake certain that sleep would be a long time in coming.

He couldn't stop imagining Haley and Josh wrapped around each other in her bed sleeping probably exhausted from their lovemaking and they were the least disturbing images that were flitting across his mind.

More disturbing were the pictures of what would have occurred to make them so exhausted and he felt physically sick as he imagined the other man touching Haley the way he himself had touched Haley so many times in the last few weeks.

He didn't know what was going to happen between him and Haley but he knew he couldn't leave things as they were.

A faint noise broke into his thoughts and he paused listening again.

There it was a slight rattle, glancing towards his window where it seemed to be coming from he got out of bed.

Walking to the window he pulled back the curtains and peered out into the night.

At first he didn't see anything then just as he was about to turn away he caught a glimpse of something white moving around on the grass out the front of his house.

Turning back he looked more closely sure enough he could see someone apparently hunting on the ground for something.

He opened his window to get a better view and as he watched they found what they were looking for and standing suddenly they turned back to the window launching the missile towards him.

Ducking he watched in disbelief as a small rock clattered to the floor at his feet.

"What the fuck?" he sputtered.

His eyes now adjusted to the darkness outside picked out Haley's vexed face as she realized that the window was now open.

"Haley what the hell are you doing?" he asked in low voice not wanting to wake his mother and have her input into this rather uncomfortable situation.

"I'm sorry Nathan I just had to see you."

"What about Joshy boy?

Does he know you're gone?"

"No of course not, he's asleep."

"Aren't you worried that he might wake up and find you not there?"

He noticed the flash of concern that crossed her face and knew that she hadn't even thought through her actions before leaving to come here.

"Nathan can I come in?

I really need to talk to you."

He sighed debating his options tempted to just tell her to go home but the truth was he wanted some answers and she was the only one that could tell him what he needed to know.

But hewas determined notto give in too easily.

"I already told you Haley I have no interest in hearing anything from you unless it's the news that lover boy is gone."

Haley grimaced atNathan's description of Josh's role in her life but didn't attempt to deny it ashervoice took on a tone of puredesperation betraying her utter confusion with their situation.

The only thing she knew for sure at this moment was that she needed to talk to Nathan.

"Nathan please just let me in.

You don't have to say anything just let me explain things and then I promise that I'll go." She watched his face as he appeared to consider her words.

She had never before felt so unsure about what Nathan may or may not do.

She had always prided herself on knowing him so well and now for the first time she had to admit to herself that she could no longer read him the way she once could.

"Fine Hale's wait there I'll be down in a minute."

She walked to the door and waited nervously for what felt like an eternity.

Tapping her foot on the ground for the first time she allowed the possibility that he may not come down cross her mind.

The Nathan she had known five years ago would never have dreamed of leaving her standing on the doorstep but this new Nathan she really wasn't sure about.

She knew he was angry but the strength of his anger was an unknown entity and left her full of doubts.

A few more minutes passed and her finger hovered uncertainly over the doorbell.

_Should I push it?_

_What if I wake Deb?_

_As well meaning as she is, she would have to be about the last person I want to see right now_.

Finally just as she was considering finding a way to break in to his house the door opened and Nathan stood before her glaring balefully.

She had never in her life felt so unwelcome arriving on someone's doorstep as she did at that moment.

Some of the bravado she had felt before he opened the door disappeared in the face of his obvious unhappiness in seeing her.

"Can I come in?" she asked timidly.

Without a word he stood back holding the door open allowing her to move past him into the house.

She walked in and he followed leaving the door open making it clear he expected their conversation to be short and to the point.

Moving into the kitchen she hovered uncertainly next to the table unsure whether she should sit down.

He gestured to the chair with a curt nod of his head and she sank gratefully into it feeling as if her legs were about to give out from under her.

"You wanted to talk so talk," he said with out preamble.

She hesitated for a moment lost for words.

The urge to talk to him was still there but now that she finally had the chance she had no idea what to say to him that could possibly explain everything that was going on in her head at the moment.

Impatient with her silence he looked down at her from where he stood with his arms crossed,over her in a pose designed to intimidate and for the first time since she arrived that night took in the details of her appearance.

She sat still dressed in her pajamas, her hair disheveled showing that she had in all likelihood been tossing and turning much as he had for most of the night.

For a moment he softened towards her until his mind conjured up its earlier images that could well be responsible for her current state of disarray.

"Well Hales are you going to sit there all night in silence or are you going to tell me whatever it was that lead you to leave your lover's bed in the middle of the night and come to my doorstep."

Listening to his venomous tone Haley finally regained the use of her vocal chords and the words came spilling out.

"Nathan I just had to come here so I could tell you that I had no idea that Josh would be coming here like this.

He wanted to surprise me."

"How romantic," he ground out sarcastically.

"Please don't be like this," she begged.

"Like what Hales?

How exactly do you expect me to act after we spend the last two weeks together and we arrive back to find lover boy ready and waiting for you?

Sorry if my actions don't live up to your expectations but I'm at a bit of aloss to know what the proper etiquette is of how to act when the woman who has spent the last three weeks in my bed suddenly has her ex fiancé turn up and she jumps straight back into bed with him.

To the best of my knowledge Martha Stewart doesn't have any books on that topic.

Maybe that's one she could work on from her cell."

Haley had tried several times to break into his rant but had been patently unsuccessful.

"Nathan please it's not like that." she desperately tried to convince him.

"Oh," he said sounding mildly surprised "so Joshy boy is sleeping on the sofa is he?"

"Well no," Haley admitted but..."

"Save it Hales," Nathan interrupted her "I'm not interested."

"Nathan," she tried once more terrified that if she could not somehow manage to make him listen that this moment could genuinely spell the end for them.

She still didn't know who her future should be with but the idea of losing Nathan was almost unbearable.

Some might say that she was being selfish but Haley could notor would not see it that way.

"Look Nathan like I said I had no idea that he was coming and I'm just really confused now."

"Oh well Poor Haley in that case then we better all join up to your little pity party you've got going on.

I mean because obviously you're the only one being affected by all this."

"Nathan I never said that.

Of course I'm not the only one having to deal with all this but I don't think you understand just how hard this is on me."

Nathan looked at her for a moment as if she had sprouted another head.

"For fuck's sake Hales will you listen to yourself.

You come here because you need to talk and all I've heard out of your mouth so far is me, me, me.

Well I'm sick of you always only thinking of yourself.

You left me all those years ago without a word and you still have never told me why."

Haley was shocked for a moment throughout their time away she had kept expecting him to ask these questions but they had never come.

Now although as always it was never completely out of her mind she found it hard to swap from one set of problems to the other.

"Nathan I can't.

Please just trust me leaving like that was the best possible thing I could do.

I did it for both of us."

"Says you," he said angrily banging his fist down onto the table "but did you ever come to me and try to talk to me about what was bothering you or even take the time to make one little phone call to let me know that you were ok after you left.

I loved you Hales and you just walked away without ever looking back."

Haley's eyes filled with tears as she listened to his words.

"Nathan it wasn't like that I did think about you and there were so many times that I wanted to call you but I just couldn't."

She could tell by just one look at his face that he didn't believe her and she felt her heart contract in her chest.

"Alright Hales so you couldn't bring yourself to call me but we're both here now so go ahead tell me.

Tell me this deep dark secret of yours.

Here's your chance lay it all out on the table for me and lets resolve this once and for all."

Tears were now pouring down her face as she looked at him.

"I can't Nathan you don't know how much I want to but I just can't."

For the briefest of moments before she had spoken he had allowed himself to hope that maybe just maybe she would finally be truthful with him but as soon as she had uttered those two words "_I can't_" all of his dreams came crashing down once more.

"Fine Hales if that's the way you want it.

You know the way out.

I guess I'll see you around." He told her turning his back on her.

Barely able to see through her tears she staggered towards the door.

As she reached it she turned once more and looked back at him.

"I'm so sorry Nathan," she choked out between sobs.

"Yeah sure you are Hales.

Say hi to Josh for me won't you."

Turning back to face her retreating back he walked to the door behind her pushing it closed without another word.

Deb moved silently back up the stairs not wanting to alert her son to her presence.

As she ascended she wiped away a lone tear.

_What is going to happen to my boy now?_

**Spoilers :- A meeting, a confrontation and an offer.**


	21. It's All Going To Be Ok

**A.N You guys are the absolute best I know to a lot of you it probably doesn't seem like such a big deal but I am just so excited about breaking the 200 review mark. That is a first for me with one of my stories and I just want to say a huge thankyou to everyone who has reviewed. I know it goes without saying but I'm going to anyway I wouldn't have done it without you. I know this story seems to be going in a whole new direction at the moment but I promise it is all leading somewhere so bear with it. Hope you enjoy the latest chapter.**

**kaos2405** I'm not totally sure why you do either but if thats the way you feel then I guess its a healthy way to express your anger. LOL. Haley's a touch confused at the moment I guess. Don't worry I've got plenty more planned for her. She's about to get some major wake up calls in the chapters to come.

**Cap'n Keira Sparrow** A lot of people have said that this chapter was not what they were expecting so I'm not totally sure what it was you were all expecting but I hope my offering sufficed. Keep reading your wishes are due to be granted in the next couple of chapters.

**jaeli** You like the chapter and I like the fact that you keep reviewing so I guess we're helping each other out. Yes I know poor Nathan but I promise he won't stay sad. There is a lot more to come. I'm not sure if you got my email but I haven't actually seen Season Two yet although hope to rectify that in the near future so until then I'm doing my damnedest to avoid finding out what happens. Don't fret I have no intention of stopping this story any time soon.

**cherrymfzb** Wow that chapter seems to have released some anger in some of you reviewers the only thing you are not in agreement about is who to be angry with. Ok so your vote is Nathan. He is being a touch unreasonable isn't he. He's sort of letting the plan slip at the moment with everything else thats going on but I promise you haven't seen the last of it. Whether or not Josh is up to something well I guess you will have to wait and see. Haley's about to learn she's a lot tougher than she thinks she is. I'm glad you're still enjoying the story.

**HipHopper92**What do you mean **_the_** twist? I can assure you that there will be more than one. Glad you enjoyed the chapter and I promise if Josh is keeping a secret it won't be kept for too much longer.

**Britt** Glad you enjoyed it. For once I didn't even make you wait very long for the next one. Hope it lives up to expectations.

**MeSpikeAndAngelinA3sum** Hey Nats sorry to leave you hanging but I promise it won't be for too much longer. I figured I better post as much as I possibly can this week while I still have internet access and more to the point a roof over my head. To be honest I have sort of got the impression that you do enjoy my writing before don't know what could possibly have given me that idea. For once I didn't make you wait long at all for an update. Hope you're grateful. LOL.

**Jenna** Yep I'm definitely smiling. I'm so glad that you are still enjoying this story. To be honest having Deb listening in on them was sort of a spur of the moment idea but I'm glad you thought it worked ok. I already havethe next fewchapters wrote so is only a matter of me actually posting them. So far no luck with the job hunting or house hunting looks like its going to end up with me sleeping on a friends sofa at least for a while. Fun times.

**unfolddream** Yes I was referring to the one and only Tim Smith and you will find out the reason very soon. Yes they are complete nympho's. Now that they've started having sex again they aren't going to want to stop any time soon. Glad you enjoyed the latestchapters. I'm even updating really quickly for once so you hardly have to wait at all.

**kate** I wouldn't worry too much about Nate. He'll get over this little upset pretty soon. Besides this will seem like nothing compared to what I have planned for future chapters. Hope you enjoy it.

**Chapter Twenty-one**

Nathan was up at dawn and out of the house running up and down the beach trying to expel the demons that had taken up residence in his psyche.

What little sleep he had managed to get the night before had been plagued with dreams about Haley and their relationship both past and present and nightmares about her leaving.

But despite his punishing regime the images refused to be banished and he eventually gave up falling to his knees on the sandy ground in exhaustion.

After some time passed he stood up and turned reticently towards the beach house knowing full well that Deb would be up and about by now and wanting answers to the questions that no doubt consumed her.

But what answers could he give her when he was so full of confusion himself.

The confrontation with Haley in the early hours of the morning had done little to resolve his feelings apart from relieving some of his pent up frustration in the anger he had turned on her.

Entering quietly through the backdoor he moved quickly towards the stairs hoping to avoid the inevitable talk with his mother for at least a little bit longer.

He was halfway up the stairs and well on his way to freedom when her voice halted him.

"There you are Nathan I was starting to worry."

"I'm a big boy mom I can look after myself."

"I know that honey but I'm your mother I can't help but worry especially when I see you looking so unhappy and no sign of Haley.

What happened Nate?

Please tell me.

If there's something wrong with Haley I would really like to know, you know I think of her like a daughter."

"Look mom I really don't know what's going on with Haley so if you're so concerned about her maybe you should go and have a chat with her yourself.

Who knows maybe she'll tell you what the hell is going on with her because she certainly doesn't seem to have any intention of telling me."

Deb looked at her son and saw beyond all the bluster immediately, no matter what sort of face he tried to put on it, it was obvious to her that he was hurting deeply.

"Nathan honey I'm just going to say this and then I'll leave it up to you what you choose to do with my advice.

If you want to you can ignore it but I hope you will at least think about what I'm about to say rather than simply dismiss it.

I know when you and Haley were younger your father and I were perhaps a little too eager to see the two of you settled together and perhaps we pressured the two of you unnecessarily but I truly believed and I still do that Haley James was and is the best thing that has ever happened to you.

I saw how hurt you were when she left so suddenly and although we tried our best you never felt that you could confide in either your father or I about the circumstances that led to her leaving.

Now I can understand that you're a grown man and you need to live your life how you see fit but I am going to say that you let Haley walk out of your life once before and it nearly destroyed you please don't let that happen again for both your sakes.

Do whatever it takes but fight for her Nate because if you don't you may not get another chance."

Nathan opened his mouth to argue but the words wouldn't come no matter how much he wanted them to.

He would like nothing more than to tell his mother that she was completely wrong and to mind her own business but although he would never admit it out loud he recognized the truth in what she was saying.

He had to speak to Haley and he had to do it as soon as possible.

Looking down at his sweat drenched running shorts with distaste he quickly continued up the stairs headed for the shower.

Haley sat across the breakfast table from Josh responding in monosyllabic answers to the questions he asked in an attempt to start conversation.

Hearing the phone ring Haley had to disguise her sigh of relief at the distraction it would offer.

Picking it up quickly she answered.

"Hello,"

"Tutor Girl what are you doing there?

Why aren't you at Nathan's?"

A ghost of a smile crossed her face as her prayers were answered because there could be no greater distraction than Brooke when she had her mind set to something.

"Haley for goodness sake talk to me what the hell is going on" Brooke's shrill voice rang in her ear and Haley had to hold the phone slightly away from her ear to avoid the possibility of deafness.

"Haley," Brooke screeched again and Haley knew without a doubt just how seriously Brooke was taking this situation between her and Nathan.

She couldn't remember the last time Brooke had actually used her first name and now to hear it twice within one phone conversation well there was no greater clue to Brooke's distress.

"Brooke look I really can't talk right now Josh and I are just finishing up breakfast but how about I come around and see you this morning."

"So it's true," Brooke said "Josh is really there."

"I'll see you shortly Brooke."

"Alright," Brooke agreed begrudgingly.

"I'll be waiting but you better be full of answers." she warned.

"Talk to you soon Brooke," Haley hung up and found Josh watching her quizzically.

"Was that your friend from school that you've been spending so much time with?" he asked.

"Uh yeah," Haley confirmed slightly uncomfortable in her lie.

"I've actually promised that I will go and see her this morning.

I hope you don't mind."

"No, no of course not," Josh agreed without hesitation.

"Well then in that case I think I'll go wash up and get going.

I'll see you a bit later."

"Ok Haley," Josh said apparently distracted with other thoughts.

Haley took advantage of his distraction to slip out of the room thus avoiding anymore of their uncomfortable conversation.

Twenty minutes later she was pulling up in front of Brooke and Lucas' modest house sitting in the car for a moment she took a deep breath in preparation for Hurricane Brooke.

Before she reached the door it flew open and Brooke stood in front of her.

"Come in Tutor Girl we have a lot to talk about."

Haley looked back towards the car longingly she had a feeling that this could be a long talk and she knew Brooke would not rest until she had every last detail out of her.

Standing at her front door Nathan rang the doorbell and waited anxiously for Haley to answer.

When the door opened moments later he found himself face to face with the other man in Haley's life.

"Uh hi my names Nathan I work with Haley.

Is she here?"

Josh stood back from the door.

"No she's not here but come in I think you and I need to talk."

Nathan looked at him debating his options he could always make some excuse about an appointment he had forgotten but the truth was he was curious about the other man who occupied some part of Haley's heart.

Reaching a fast decision he stepped over the threshold that would lead him into Haley's home.

"Sure," he said "that sounds great."

Following Josh into the kitchen he took a moment to study the other man.

Nathan wouldn't exactly consider himself an expert on what made a man attractive but he supposed Josh was good looking enough in his own right.

His hair was light brown and he was almost as tall as Nathan although not as broad across the shoulders.

Looking at him he appeared to be physically fit but Nathan got the impression that his fitness came about more from hours spent in the gym rather than outdoor activities like Nathan's own.

Sitting down at the table Nathan found himself subjected to a similar scrutiny from Josh himself.

"Can I get you a coffee?" Josh asked.

"No thanks I'm fine.

How about you just tell me what it is you want to talk to me about?" Nathan said hardly able to contain his impatience.

"I think that's obvious.

I want to know what is going on with Haley.

Ever since I got here it's been blatantly obvious that something is playing on her mind and I can't help but wonder if it has something to do with you."

Nathan shifted uncomfortably in his seat and attempted to buy some time.

This was not how he had envisioned this conversation going.

The only reason he had agreed to talking to Josh like this was because he had hoped to learn more about the other man and instead he found himself at the centre of an inquisition from him.

"Why do you think it has anything to do with me?"

"I have eyes Nathan I saw the way you looked at us last night and the way you left in such a hurry now do you want to explain that to me or should I just reach my own conclusions."

"To be honest Josh I don't really care what you think.

Now if you don't mind I have a few questions myself?"

Josh looked slightly taken aback at the confidence exuding from the man sitting across from him.

He was used to students being slightly intimidated by his autocratic manner but this man sitting at his fiancées table was another matter.

"Look Josh I'm going to be straight with you Haley and I have known each other for a very long time and I really care about her so basically what I want to know is what the hell the deal with the two of you is?"

"What do you mean?" Josh asked sounding slightly nervous.

"I think you know what I mean man so why don't you just answer the question." Nathan urged edgily.

"What happens between Haley and I is our business and no one else's." Josh told him defensively hoping to bring an end to the inquest he found himself subjected to.

"Nice theory man but that doesn't wash with me."

"Fine you want the truth well here it is.

I love Haley and I'm pretty certain she loves me but there is something from her past that is holding her back from moving forward with her life with me.

She's never told me what it is but I'm fairly certain that it somehow involves this place."

Nathan didn't know whether to feel a sense of relief that Haley had never discussed what it was from her past that had led to her leaving so long ago or whether he should be disappointed that his quest for the truth had once again reached a dead end.

Nathan sat back taking stock of what the other man had said.

While Josh seemed to be a nice enough guy there was something about him that Nathan just couldn't quite put his finger on.

There was something just a little bit off about him or false as if he was somehow used to deceiving the people around him on a regular basis.

Nathan shook his head it was probably just wishful thinking on his part.

Haley had always been a good judge of character and if she trusted Josh then there was probably no reason for him not to.

Standing up from the table he made his apologies.

"Look Josh I really need to get going now.

Maybe I'll see you around."

Josh got to his feet his innate good manners requiring that he shake the other mans hand and see him out.

"Nice to meet you Nathan,

Perhaps I'll see you again in the future."

"I wouldn't count on it." Nathan muttered under his breath.

He got into his car and sat there for a moment before suddenly breaking into a huge grin that covered his face

It had finally hit him what it was that Josh was hiding and he now knew that Josh didn't really present any sort of competition for him in the quest for Haley's heart.

There was no longer a rush for him to see Haley; he could afford to be patient.

He would have Haley again of that he was certain.

Haley meanwhile sat on the sofa next to Brooke finally having finished explaining to her everything that had occurred in the past few weeks.

Brooke had been perhaps for the first time in history completely speechless as Haley had told her tale although naturally as soon as it had come to an end and Brooke had had an opportunity to digest the information she had not hesitated to give Haley her opinion.

Unsurprisingly again she had been vehement in her outlook on the situation.

As far as she was concerned Haley belonged with Nathan and that was all there was to it.

Try as she might Haley had been unable to convince her that the situation was not that simple and there were much more complicated issues involved than who she had been in love with the longest.

But Brooke was having none of that and had told Haley in no uncertain terms that she was talking bullshit and was simply hiding from the truth of the situation.

Brooke could see Haley's distress at the situation she had found herself in but was not quite finished with her yet.

"Tutor Girl I am just going to say one more thing and then I have something else I need to talk to you about.

I want you to understand that I'm only saying this because I care about you and I care about Nathan."

"I know you do Brooke," Haley told her but Brooke held up her hand in front of her face indicating that she had not finished speaking.

"Ever since you've got back I've taken notice of the way you have been behaving and it seems so clear to me and probably to everyone else who knows you that you were unhappy when you came back and despite the way you fought against him the only time you came alive was when Nathan was in the room with you.

Now you can deny it if you like but I'm not seeing the same light inside of you with Josh here in town and to me that tells me more then you could ever hope to with all your words and protestations.

I've said my piece now and whether or not you listen to it is up to you but I hope for your sake and Nathan's sake and even for Josh's sake although I've never met him that you at least think about what I've said and try to do what's best for everyone involved."

"I'll try Tigger.

Thanks you're a good friend."

They both sank into silence for several minutes each lost in their own thoughts.

Haley knew that what Brooke had said to her just now had come from the heart.

Whether or not it was advice that she should take she didn't know but she knew that Brooke had said what she had said with the very best of intentions.

Brooke looked up at Haley and smiled.

"Right," she said clapping her hands together "on to happier topics.

I have something important I want to ask you and I really hope that you say yes."

Haley looked at her curiously wondering what had caused the light in her eyes.

"Well the thing is Tutor Girl Lucas and I were wondering how you would feel about becoming a Tutor God-mother?"

Haley looked at her in shock.

"Brooke are you serious I would love to.

Nothing would make me happier."

"Are you sure Tutor Girl I mean I'll understand if you don't want to?

I guess I could always call Peyton and see if maybe she would be interested even though we haven't really had a lot to do with each other these last few years since she moved away with Jake and Jenny."

"Tigger don't be ridiculous and don't you even consider asking anyone else."

"Oh Tutor Girl this is going to be so wonderful you and Nathan as God-parents to our baby."

"Nathan?" Haley squeaked although she really didn't know why it hadn't occurred to her earlier of course Nathan would be the baby's God-father.

Noticing Brooke's concerned glance she pasted a smile onto her face to mask her discomfort with the idea and hastened to reassure her.

"That sounds perfect Tigger.

I can hardly wait till my future God-child is born."

Haley stayed chatting for a little while longer then said goodbye to Brooke hugging her tightly.

"Thank-you so much for today Tigger.

It meant a lot to me having someone to talk to about all this mess that has been going on with Nathan and Josh."

"No problem Tutor Girl you know you can always talk to me."

"I'll see you soon Brooke."

"You too Tutor Girl."

Haley left via the front door as Lucas entered from the back.

Turning to look at him Brooke smiled brightly.

"Hey Broody, where have you been?"

"Sit down honey I've just been to see Nathan to ask him about being God-father and you would not believe what he told me."

"Ooh," Brooke said happily "Gossip just what I was in the mood for."

Lucas laughed at her eager expression.

"Baby you're always in the mood for gossip."

"Now Broody you know that isn't true sometimes I'm definitely in the mood for other things and junior here is proof of that," she giggled patting her stomach.

When Haley pulled into the driveway soon after she found Josh sitting on the front step apparently waiting for her.

Seeing her car he stood up immediately walking to the side of the car and waiting for her to exit.

"How was your friend?" he asked as soon as she opened her door.

"Uh Brooke was fine.

Why?"

"Just showing an interest Haley that's ok isn't it?" he asked with noticeable sarcasm.

"Of course it is," Haley said defensively.

"So what have you been doing while I've been gone?" she asked brightly.

"I actually had a visitor myself.

Nathan came around looking for you." he told her watching her carefully for any reaction to Nathan's name.

She visibly blanched at the thought of Nathan and Josh actually coming into contact.

Josh had noticed her expression and it confirmed his suspicions.

"Yes we had a nice long chat about things."

"Really?" Haley asked trying to appear nonplussed at the news.

"Yes," he said "aren't you going to ask what we talked about?

Or are you just going to wait for your good friend Nathan to tell you about it when you next see him?

Maybe when you sneak out to see him again tonight?"

Haley's face paled with shock.

"He told you?" she gasped in disbelief.

"No, he didn't." he said cryptically.

She didn't know what to say, Josh was looking at her so calmly and didn't appear to be bothered by anything that was going on.

"Haley it's obvious that you and Nathan have a past but I also know that your future is with me.

Stop looking so worried Haley.

It's all going to be ok."

He slipped an arm around her shoulders.

"Let's go inside."

Haley's mind echoed with his words "It's all going to be ok."

**Spoilers:- Help is at hand for Nathan from an unlikely source,Haley and Josh spend some quality time together, Haley decides she's ready to lay her ghosts to rest.**


	22. The Calm Before The Storm

**A.N** **TinyDancer7 **where are you? I miss your reviews. Lets face it no one else finds a way to work references to clothes they've just bought into reviews for my story.

**Cap'n Keira Sparrow** Thanx I'm glad you enjoyed it. So Nathan has worked out Josh's secret. Don't worry you'll be let in on it soon enough. Hope this chapter is worth the wait for you.

**unfolddream** Read on for the unlikely source who is about to finally help Nathan to get the truth he has been wanting for five years. Yeah well I guess we can always rely on Brooke to tell it how it is. She's not one to mess around with words if she believes something then she will not hesitate to share it. Glad you enjoyed the chapter.

**Britt** Ok, ok I'm updating. LOL. Hope you enjoy it and maybe you can give me your thoughts in a review at the end of this chapter. Would love to hear what you think of where the story is heading at the moment.

**cherrymfzb** Phew. Thank goodness for your review I was starting to worry that the story was no longer up to scratch as reviews were a bit slow coming in this time around. I know I'm greedy but what can I say reviews are sometimes the highlight of my day. I promise you will find out very soon what Nathan has figured out about Josh. I'm kind of glad that nobody has been able to guess because I was worried that I might have given it away. Anyway I actually think I'm being pretty good about updating at the moment in comparison to some of my other efforts. LOL.After reading this chapter you'll know why I never responded to one of the guesses you had about aminor plot twist. But congratulations on guessing what I had planned. No one else had a clue. I guess you know Nathan too well. Either that or you're starting to get to know how my mind works. That's a scary thought for you. LOL. Let me know how your job hunt's going too. I've been wondering whether you have managed to get things sorted out.

**hilaryhilary** Gee I'm so feeling the love right now. Well I guess at least my story provokes strong feelings in you. Don't know why you're so surprised I told you it was war. LOL.

**famousindafuture** I always love getting a new reviewer and it's so great when I find out that someone else is enjoying this little effort that I tentatively call a story. I really appreciated the way you went into speciifics of what you are enjoying about the story thus far. I hope you continue to enjoy it and that I hear more from you in the future.

**MeSpikeAndAngelinA3sum** Yes well I guess something good had to come out of me losing my job and place to live. Its given me plenty of incentive to update before I have to move out. Josh's secret will be revealed very soon so try not to stress I promise it is coming but I already have the next few chapters wrote so it has to come out where I've planned because otherwise I'll have to go back and do a re-write. I'm so happy that you are still enjoying reading it.

**kate** What can I say sometimes I think they need to actually have a break from all the sex. (Who am I kidding). No there's not a lot of positives in this chapter for Naley but it was a chapter that needed to be written and by the end of it hopefully you will understand why. Let me know what you think.

**Jenna** I'll let you in on a little secret. You're right Josh is definitely all that he seems. Just what that means you will have to wait and see but I promise that it won't be too much longer there are some major bombshells planned for the next few chapters. Hope you're ready for it. Job hunt is shit!. No it's just still going nowhere and I now have two days before I have to move out. So I'm a bit stressed to put it mildly.

**Chapter Twenty-two**.

Josh woke up the next morning and found Haley sleeping peacefully beside him. He was going to have to tell her when she woke up that there had been a change in his plans but that could wait for now he was content to let her sleep. Watching her sleep he felt a sense of satisfaction overtake him this was how things were supposed to be. At least this was how they would have to be. He needed Haley even more than she realized and perhaps not entirely for the reasons people might expect. Something in her dreams made her smile and he realized how lucky he was to have her she was going to make a wonderful wife and now more than ever he looked forward to that day.

Sliding out of bed he padded through to the kitchen to make breakfast for them both. Things hadn't quite gone as he expected when he had arrived to surprise her for the weekend but after their minor confrontation the night before he now believed things were back on track. After they had come inside he had asked her if she still wanted this marriage and she had assured him that she did. As far as he was concerned now things were once again settled and he could head back to Chicago sure in the knowledge that everything was going to work out.

Haley awoke minutes later to the smell of breakfast cooking. For a moment her stomach churned in protest before once again settling. She lay there for a little longer before walking to the kitchen where Josh had breakfast waiting for her.

"Morning Haley."

"Hi Josh,

This smells wonderful."

"Glad to hear it," he said smiling warmly "now pull up a chair and I'll fix you a plate."

Across town Nathan sat at the table with Deb lost in thought and smiled to himself. He was now more certain than ever that things were going to work out for him and Haley even if she didn't know it yet.

Deb noticed the obvious improvement in his demeanor and knew that there could only be one thing responsible for it. Things with Haley must be back on track.

When he finished his breakfast he stood up from the table.

"I've got to go see someone mom but I'll be back later ok?"

"Sure Nate I'll see you later."

Whistling to himself he walked out the front door and headed to the school. He had an appointment with Frank Logan that he really needed to keep. Walking into the office a little while later he smiled at the older man.

"Gee Frank do you ever go home?

It's a Sunday for goodness sake."

Looking up Frank greeted him with a warm handshake.

"Nathan you're back.

How was Barbados?"

"It was great Frank, worked out exactly how I was hoping it would."

Frank chuckled in a conspiratorial fashion.

"So that fake suspension did the trick huh?"

"Perfectly Frank.

Thanks for that."

"Hey it's your holiday time that got used up," the older man commented "but I guess it was about time you used some.

You've been working far too hard ever since you started here.

I was hardly going to say no to the first request you've made for some holiday time.

I just hope that it had the desired affect."

"Oh it most definitely did.

I owe you one man."

"Yeah well I'm sure I'll think of something that you can do to return the favor."

"Anytime man, anytime."

"So other than thanking me what brings you here today?" he asked Nathan.

"I actually have one more small favor to ask.

I was wondering if you could call Haley and tell her that she has to be back at work this week."

"You want me to bring you back to work early?" he asked puzzled.

"I would have thought that you would be taking advantage of your last week of freedom."

"Yeah well trust me I would love to be doing exactly that but we've encountered a bit of a problem that goes by the name of Josh."

Frank looked up in surprise.

"Josh is here?"

"Yes unfortunately he turned up on her doorstep the other night." Nathan explained.

"So now you want me to tell her that I've decided to overturn your suspensions?"

"Well yeah," Nathan said as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"I can't make any promises Nate but I'll see what I can do.

We could certainly use you back here.

The team has really struggled in the last couple of weeks."

Nathan's interest was instantly peaked and for the next twenty minutes he grilled Frank on the ins and outs of everything that had occurred in the last two weeks on and off the court.

Back at the house Josh was sitting in the living room watching the TV when Haley walked in a few minutes later.

"Josh I'm starving how about we go out to lunch?"

"That sounds great Haley." Josh agreed slightly surprised by the invitation but secretly pleased as it affirmed his belief that things were definitely going to be ok between them.

They walked out to the car and climbed in heading to the café that Brooke and Haley had gone to for lunch just a few weeks ago. It was a strange experience going in there with Josh with the memories of her lunch with Nathan, Lucas and Brooke still so fresh in her mind. She did her best to push those thoughts aside and concentrated instead on enjoying her time with Josh. She knew she had been unfair in her actions towards him since he had arrived and was determined to make more of an effort with him for his remaining time in Tree Hill.

"So what would you like to eat?" Haley asked as Josh perused the menu.

He made his selection and Haley went up to order for them both. After doing so she made her way back to the table where he sat waiting for her.

"How have things been back in Chicago?" she asked realizing she hadn't even inquired about their home since she had seen him.

"Everything has been fine but not the same without you."

He chatted on about his work and Haley listened attentively unaware of the entrance of another diner. Deb spotted the two almost immediately and gasped in surprise.

_Why is Haley here with another man?_

_Who is he?_

Picking out a booth where Haley would be unlikely to see her she sat watching with curiosity. As she watched Haley and the as yet unknown man she saw her laugh at something he said and leaned into him placing a hand on his arm. The man caught her hand in his and brought it to his lips kissing her fingertips. Deb by now was very confused. Haley was apparently very familiar with the man and yet she and Nathan had told her only a matter of weeks ago that they were giving their relationship another go.

Thinking back to that night she suddenly realized that Haley hadn't actually said anything. Nathan had been the one telling her that they were getting back together and the more she thought about it the more obvious it seemed that Haley had been extremely uncomfortable about Nathan's pronouncement. There was something going on here that obviously she had not been told about and it made her very uneasy about the situation and her son's future with the woman he truly loved.

As she watched another man approached the table and she tried to remember where she had seen his face before. She was sure she knew him but could not quite place where she knew him from.

Haley looked up as a voice called her name.

"Miss James, just the person I was looking for."

"Mr. Logan," she said surprised to see him.

"Now, now Miss James there's no need to stand on formality outside of the school. I'll call you Haley and you will call me Frank."

"Um ok Frank," Haley said uncomfortably. "So why were you looking for me?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I'll be expecting you at school tomorrow morning as usual."

Josh was looking at the other man quizzically obviously wondering why this man had felt the need to seek out Haley and tell her something that should have been already known by her.

"Tomorrow?" Haley asked puzzled "But…."

"Tomorrow Haley, don't be late. Now I'll leave you to enjoy your lunch. See you in the morning."

Haley watched the principal walk away wondering what had happened to cause his change of heart. She had a feeling that Nathan was somehow involved but couldn't understand how he could possibly be responsible for this when he himself had been suspended also. Looking back at Josh she forced her thoughts away from Nathan and back onto the man sitting opposite her..

"Who was that Haley?"

"That was Frank Logan. Tree Hill High's principal." she responded.

"Does he usually find the need to find you on a Sunday afternoon to tell you to be at work the next day?"

Haley laughed off his question she could hardly tell him that for the last two weeks she had been suspended for unprofessional behaviour especially when that behaviour involved making out with Nathan in the janitor's closet at her place of work. No she definitely couldn't tell him that.

"He's just a little demanding. He sometimes mistakes us staff for the student population and assumes we're a touch incompetent and unable to manage our own lives.It's just how he is."

She knew her excuse was hollow and was relieved that Josh seemed to have bought it at least for now. The rest of their lunch passed with the sense of easy familiarity that had always been present between them in the past. Haley had succeeded in pushing all thoughts of Nathan out of her mind at least temporarily and was remembering how much she enjoyed spending time with Josh and why.

Deb remained where she was watching them until they left and then quickly stood walking to the window where she would have a clear view of the departing pair. She wanted to witness the manner in which they farewelled each other before she jumped to any definite conclusions about the behaviour she had thus far observed between the two.

As she watched they both climbed into Haley's car with the man driving and Deb felt all her hopes plummet at the sight. To her that more than proved what she had suspected but had hoped would prove to be untrue. Haley and this man were obviously seeing each other. They had come to the café together, had acted very familiar with each other throughout their lunch including casual touching and now the final nail in the coffin he had been driving Haley's car.

Now perhaps it was old fashioned of Deb to think this way but in her experience a man only ever drove a woman's car if they were involved or the woman was somehow incapacitated to be able to drive herself. Deb knew from watching that there had been nothing that would have prevented Haley from driving herself had she so chosen. Grabbing her bag she quickly left the café and headed for home anxious to speak to her son.

Pulling into the driveway twenty minutes later with a heavy heart Deb remained where she was in the car for a moment trying to decide exactly how she should broach this news with Nathan. The last thing she ever wanted to do was upset him but he deserved to know the truth and as his mother she was the one who should break it to him.

Letting herself in the front door she found Nathan whistling to himself as he made a sandwich for lunch.

_Oh God how can I do this?_

_He's so happy right now._

Taking a deep breath she approached the bench.

"Nate honey I uh need to talk to you.

Nathan looked up at his mother and grinned.

"Sure mom anything particular you wanted to talk about? Or is this just one of those general chat things?"

She hesitated a moment before speaking.

Nathan looked at her face and immediately became worried.

"Mom are you ok? Has something happened? Is it Dad?"

His questions came thick and fast and Deb took a moment to digest them before speaking.

"No Nathan I didn't mean to scare you it's nothing like that."

"Well then what is it?" he asked her his concern still clearly evident.

Deb wished for a moment that she didn't have to be the one to tell him but she pushed those selfish thoughts aside and instead concentrated on her son and the devastating news she was about to impart.

"Nate you have no idea how much I wish that I didn't have to tell you this but there's something you need to know. I was out for lunch today and I saw Haley."

"Yeah?" Nathan said quizzically clearly puzzled at why his mother seemed so distressed about telling him this.

Then suddenly the reason for his mother's obvious anxiety hit him and he smiled at her reassuringly.

"Wait was she there with Josh? Is that what this is all about?"

Deb was stunned.

Could it be possible that Nathan already knew about the other man in Haley's life?

"Uh I don't know the name of the man she was with but she was there with another man…. She trailed off uncertainly. "Are you saying that you already knew about this?" she asked completely thrown by the turn this conversation was taking.

She had expected to be comforting him and reassuring him that things would work out in the end and instead she found him to be acting almost blasé about the whole situation.

"Of course I knew." Nathan said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Oh," Deb replied in a small voice completely at a loss for words.

"Mom stop looking so worried everything's going to be fine."

Deb regained the use of her voice in a hurry in the face of that pronouncement.

"Nathan how can you say that? Haley is involved with another man and by the looks of it they have been seeing each other for quite some time."

A small frown of consternation crossed Nathan's face for a moment as he absorbed her words before he brightened once again.

"Mom trust me there is no way Haley and Josh are going to last."

Deb was not prepared tohave her concernsbrushedaside so easily.

"But how can you be so sure?" she pressed wanting some sort of insight into the reasons behind Nathan's confidence.

"Let's just call it intuition." Nathan said before leaving his mother still standing at the bench as he made his way into the den with his sandwich ready for an afternoon spent watching the play offs.

Across town Haley was in the kitchen cooking up a big batch of Bolognese sauce for their dinner.

Realising that Josh had been missing for a while she walked through to the bedroom. When she reached the door she was confronted with the sight of a half filled suitcase sitting on the bed.

"Josh what are you doing?"

"Packing your things," he replied airily "I think its time you came back to Chicago with me."

Haley stared at him in shock this was such an Un-Josh like thing to do.

"What….What are you talking about?" she asked uncertainly.

"Haley you don't have to look so appalled it was a joke. I actually have to leave a little earlier than anticipated. Something has come up and I need to get back to Chicago tonight."

"Oh no," Haley said sounding disappointed.

The truth was she wondered if maybe this could be for the best. Things had been so crazy lately and perhaps some time alone to sort out her feelings was just what she needed. Although she had been totally shocked at first it had actually been wonderful to have Josh here with her and had reminded her of exactly what it was that made their relationship so special. After her time in Barbados with Nathan and now having spent time with Josh she found herself at a very unusual juncture in her life and had no idea how she should possibly proceed. This time alone was going to be just what she needed.

"Well if you really have to leave early then I guess there's nothing I can do but accept it. But I hope you're going to at least stay for dinner. I've made your favourite."

Looking up from his packing Josh smiled his acceptance.

"That sounds great Haley. Just let me finish packing and I'll be right with you."

Haley went back to the kitchen to finish preparing their dinner. As she chopped up the salad she could have sworn she heard Josh's voice murmuring something from the other room. For a moment she stopped wondering if perhaps he was talking to her but the voice continued much the same as it had and Haley realized that he must be speaking to someone on his cell phone. When he joined her a few minutes later he was smiling brightly.

"This smells wonderful Haley."

He sat down at the table and began helping himself to a heaping plateful of the dinner Haley had prepared.

They ate mostly in silence interrupted only occasionally by a comment from one or the other. As the meal went on Josh became slightly withdrawn as he seemed increasingly lost in thought. When they had finished he stood up glancing at his watch.

"I really need to get going soon," he told her "but before I do you and I need to have a bit of a talk."

"Ok," Haley said giggling nervously "what about?"

"Haley I think its time you thought about moving back to Chicago."

Haley looked stunned for a moment before laughing off his comment.

"Oh I get it is this another one of your jokes like earlier with the suitcase?"

"Not exactly Haley. I really think its time that we got married. When I asked you to come back here it was because I felt you had issues that you needed to resolve before we could begin our married life together. Now having been here a few days I am fairly certain I know what those issues were and perhaps still are. But I truly believe that its time for you to lay those old demons to rest and I don't necessarily believe anymore that that is going to happen by you being here."

Haley opened her mouth to speak but Josh held up a hand to halt her.

"Maybe I'm wrong in my assessment of this situation but there is one thing that I am right about and I don't think you can argue with me on this one. It is time to resolve things once and for all. As you know I'm going back to Chicago tonight and I really hope that you will be joining me there soon."

Haley stared down at her feet unsure how she should respond to his impassioned speech.

"I'll do my best." she settled on telling him.

"That's all I can ask," He said "now how about you come and give me a kiss goodbye."

Obediently she walked to him allowing herself to be drawn into the warmth of his embrace.

Leaning down he placed a kiss on her lips.

"Hopefully I'll see you at home soon."

Haley didn't respond instead she watched as he walked to his rental car climbing behind the wheel and with one final wave pulled out of the driveway to make his return to Chicago.

Standing out on the porch she hugged herself guarding against the cold. She knew there was a lot of truth in the words Josh had just spoken and perhaps the time had come to finally exorcise the demons from her past. Entering the house she picked up the phone, pausing for a moment to search her mind for the correct number she dialed it in without any further hesitation.

Hearing the voice answer at the other end she spoke immediately.

"Nathan it's me we need to talk. Be at my house in twenty minutes ok?"

She waited only a moment to hear his affirmative answer before once again hanging up. She sat staring at the phone for a minute hardly daring to believe what she had just done. After so long of keeping it all bottled up the truth was finally about to come out.

**Spoiler: Nathan begins to learn the truth about Haley's disappearance.**

**A.N** I'm just giving you the one spoiler for the next chapter because lets face it. Haley's secret coming out is something a lot of you have been waiting for.


	23. Hurricane Haley

**A.N Hey guys decided to slip you another update today because I am seriously running out of time until I have to be out of my house so need to take advantage of the internet access while I still have it. All of your waiting and begging and pleading is finally about to pay off I just hope the BIG SECRET is not a let down for you. Will be looking forward to hearing what you think of it.**

**Ange x.**

**sammyjo5678** You have no idea how excited I get when I check my reviews and I find one from someone new. Its always so great when someone new tells you that they are enjoying your story. I hope you continue to enjoy it even though you will find that this story will be a bit of a bumpy ride at times. I have so many twists and turns planned. Now as for your FINALLY comment you can only imagine how my other readers have been feeling who have been wanting me to divulge this secret since the story began. Just be glad that you chose to join just at the right time. Thankyou so much for your complimentary review. Looking forward to hearing what you think of the other chapters that are still to come.

**hilaryhilary **What did you know about Haley leaving? I didn't think I'd told you what the reason wasfor her departure. Looking forward to chapter 65. But I'm begging you be gentle!. LOL.

**MeSpikeAndAngelinA3sum** Hey glad you enjoyed Deb's little attempt at subterfuge and espionage. Yes it's finally time to learn Haley's secret. Hope it doesn't disappoint. The reviews have definitely been bringing a smile to my face its just going to be hard to use reviews for such a purpose because when I become homeless and jobless on Saturday I also become computerless and Internetless which unless a miracle occurs will mean no updates till I find somewhere else.

**kaos2405** Ok so you have your suspicions about what the secret is. Any you would like to share? I love hearing people trying to guess where they think the story is going. Your comment about being stuck I'm assuming related to your story so all I can say is I really hope its resolved itself but if you ever want a sounding board for ideas and gooseless is busy with her own story feel free to drop me a line. Now as for your little request at the start of your review the same goes triple for you. You are so right with your other comment. Where would we be without our fantasy worlds to slip into? I'm glad you're still enjoying the story I was starting to worry people were losing interest.

**heather dawn **Well it looks like all of your patience is finally about to pay off. I hope this is up soon enough for you. I swear job hunting must be one of the most frustrating things in the world especially with the way things are going at the moment. Hope the wait has been worth it for Haley's secret.

**cherrymfzb** Great to see Josh is Mr Popularity. Can't say I'm surprised. I'm not that much of a fan of him myself and he's a figment of my imagination. LOL. Although it is all planned out in my head I haven't actually wrote the chapter where Josh's secret is revealed so there is a bit of a possibility that you may be left hanging on that point for a bit longer. I'll do my best though to get it up in the next couple of days.Hope Haley's secret lives up to expectations. Sorry to hear about your job hunt. My problem is a bit different. There are heaps of jobs in my field I'm being told that I have excellent experience and all but the problem lies in my UK visa which runs out in April next year which means no one is willing to take me on because I can't commit for a minimum of a year. Incredibly frustrating.

**Chapter Twenty-three**

Less than ten minutes later Haley heard his car pull into her drive. She remained where she was sitting for the moment unable to force herself to go to the door. The sound of Nathan pounding against the door broke her from her reverie and she stood robotically and walked towards the door. Opening if she stood back as Nathan immediately pushed past her entering the house. He looked around quickly scanning for any sign of the other man's presence.

"So I take it by the fact that the rental car is no longer parked out the front that lover boy is gone?"

"Yes," Haley coughed nervously clearing her throat "he left to go back to Chicago about half an hour ago."

"Good," Nathan commented simply "that means things can get back to normal. I assume you'll be staying at my place again tonight."

Standing up he walked through to her bedroom,

"Let's get your things and get going."

Haley stood coming to lay a hand on his arm.

"No Nathan that wasn't why I called you. I told you we need to talk."

Nathan looked at her slightly puzzled then shrugged and sat down on her sofa.

"Alright come here," he said indicating the spot on the sofa next to him "let's _talk_."

Haley saw the flirty light in his eyes and walked to the other side of the room perching on a chair facing him. He was confident that this would be when Haley would tell him that she had ended things with Josh and she was ready to move forward with him. He was a little confused as to why she wouldn't sit beside him while she told him this but decided that she just didn't want to become distracted before she had had a chance to say her piece. Seeing him watching her she shifted uncomfortably in her seat before standing up and starting to pace back and forth across the room.

"Hale's what did you want to talk about?"

She looked at him nervously unsure of how she should begin. Reaching a decision she ceased pacing coming to a stop in front of where he sat.

"Were you really happy with me all those years ago?" she asked him point blank.

He looked slightly taken aback at her question but wasted no time in answering.

"Of course I was Haley I was in love with you and I thought you felt the same way about me."

"I did," she assured him "and in some respects I still do. You were the one who taught me what love is and how wonderful life could be."

"Then I'm more confused than ever Hales if everything was so wonderful then what made you leave the way you did?"

Haley paused searching for the right words she was going to have to answer his question she owed him that much but she couldn't do that until she found out a few things for herself.

"Nathan didn't you ever wonder if we were doing the wrong thing getting engaged at such a young age?"

Nathan appeared to consider her words for a moment before looking at her almost disdainfully.

"Why would I Hales we were young and in love it was natural to get engaged? Are you trying to tell me that you didn't feel the same way?"

"Nathan I already told you that I loved you but we were so young."

"What the hell does age have to do with anything?" he said his voice rising with every word.

"When love comes along you don't question it simply on the basis of age. Think back Haley you know how in love we were. You know how much I was looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you. You remember what I said the night we got engaged don't you?"

Haley allowed her mind to wander back to that time that was so perfectly engraved in her memory.

_**Flashback**_

_Haley was not in a good mood by the time she got home from school. __Nathan had been in a strange mood all day and she had barely seen him. __It seemed every time she had he had been deep in conversation with Lucas or just about to run off on what he assured her was some sort of urgent mission. __Then to top it all off after waiting more than ten minutes for him at his locker after school he had finally arrived with the news that she would need to make her own way home as he had some things he needed to do. __By this time anyone that she might have been able to get a ride with had already left and so she was forced to catch the bus._

_When it had finally arrived half an hour late she had been hanging onto her temper by a thread. __Getting off the bus she hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and commenced the twenty minute walk home in the rain from the closest bus stop to her house cursing the inconsideration of men all the way._

_Eventually arriving at her house she had entered the front gate and been confronted with the sight of Nathan's car parked in her drive with no sign of the man himself.  
Dripping wet she approached the front door as it swung open in front of her and Nathan stood there with her overnight bag in hand. __She really wasn't in the mood for his games and so with hands on hips turned a scathing glare in his direction._

_"What is going on?"_

_"Hey Hales," he responded apparently not noticing the daggers that were shooting from her eyes in the direction of his heart._

_"You got here just in time."_

_"In time for what?" she snapped not prepared to give an inch._

_Still refusing to give a straight answer he answered her question with another one of his own._

_"Are you ready to go?"_

_At that point the thin rein she had held on her temper snapped and she advanced threateningly towards him._

_"Nathan if you don't tell me what the hell is going on right this second I swear you will live to regret it."_

_To her chagrin Nathan laughed at her outraged expression and with a casual grin tenderly brushed a strand of hair out of her face._

_"Haley baby chill out."_

_She crossed her arms over her chest and stood glaring at him not wanting to be placated until she had some sort of explanation for the weird behaviour she had been subjected to from him all day._

_"You're really not going to relax until I tell you what's going on are you? __There goes the idea of giving you a surprise."_

_But Haley was not going to be swayed and remained glaring at him awaiting his justification of the day's actions. __He looked slightly disappointed for a moment that she was obviously not prepared to just trust him._

_"You know Haley I would really prefer to keep my plans a secret can't you please just get into the car with me and just have faith in me."_

_Haley for a moment felt guilty then she felt a trickle of water run down her back from her hair and her resolve hardened once again. __Looking at him mutely she shook her head in denial of his request. __He sighed as he looked at her and shook his head in displeasure._

_"Ok Hales have it your way. __But don't blame me when your surprise is spoilt."_

_He looked at her expectantly for a moment in hope that she might tell him to keep her surprise. __Shrugging resignedly he continued._

_"Ok here's the plan. __You and I are driving to Vermont for a three day weekend. __I've booked us a cabin."_

_Haley looked at him in complete shock. __She had been acting like a grade a bitch ever since she got back here and now she finds out that this had all been part of a wonderful surprise. __She felt terrible._

_"Oh Nathan I'm so sorry that sounds so great. __I can't wait."_

_"Well then it's just as well you don't have to wait isn't it. __Shall we go?"_

_Smiling happily she got into the car. __After a long drive they arrived at their destination and were forced to run inside to avoid getting wet as the rain pelted down from above. __Laughing they entered shaking the droplets from their hair as they did._

_"So what do you want to do now?" he asked._

_She smiled at him "Oh I'm sure we can come up with some ideas. __After all we have a beautiful cabin and no one else around for miles." she said suggestively running her hand down his chest._

_"And I happen to have this really hot girl standing in front of me dripping wet," Nathan said teasingly. __"Have I ever told you how much you turn me on when you're all wet?"_

_Smiling saucily at him she slipped her hands under his t-shirt "I'm not exactly averse to seeing you all wet either," she told him._

_"Hmm, so I wonder what we could possibly do to pass our time then."_

_Haley didn't bother to speak she simply grabbed his hand pulling him over to the huge bed and pushing him down onto it._

_"Yeah I wonder." she said with a grin._

_Hours later they lay wrapped around each other in bed. __Nathan kissed her lightly on the forehead._

_"Close your eyes Hales I have something I want to give you."_

_She did as he asked and he leaned over the side of the bed hunting through the side pocket of his overnight bag. __Sitting up next to her he gently pulled her hands away from her face._

_"Haley I want to ask you something."_

_Spying the small black box in his hands she gasped._

_"Nathan,"_

_She couldn't bring herself to say anything more simply staring back and forth between his face and his hands where that little black box lay so enticingly close._

_"Haley I know we're still in high school but I also know that you are the only one for me._

_I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you and I really hope that you feel the same way."_

_Seeing that she was still speechless he pressed on._

_"If you'll let me Hales I promise that I will spend the rest of my life making sure that you are happy and have everything you could possibly ever want or need."_

_Haley looked at him and felt tears welling in her eyes._

_"I love you so much Nathan but are you really sure that you want to get engaged._

_We've both got so much ahead of us to do and see."_

_Nathan smiled at her "You're exactly right Haley but I want to see and do all those things with you by my side."_

_"Do you really mean it?" she said the tears now rolling down her cheeks._

_"Of course I do Haley. __So what's your answer Haley? __Will you be my wife?"_

_Haley threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest._

_"Nathan of course I'll be your wife nothing would make me happier."_

_The rest of the weekend was spent just enjoying each others company until Monday rolled around and they returned to Tree Hill with the dubious honour of telling their respective family and friends their wonderful news._

_**End Flashback.**_

Nathan was watching her and by the far off look in his eyes she got the distinct impression that he too had been remembering the proposal.

"Nathan do you have any idea how scared I was during that time?"

"Scared," he said in disbelief "what did you possibly have to be scared about?"

Taking a deep breath for the first time she shared some of the concerns that she had held but never voiced to him.

"I was scared that we were jumping into something so major together when we had never had the opportunity to experience what else life had to offer. We had never been with anyone else and were so young."

Nathan looked at her with distaste "you're really going to have to do better than that Hales. There had to be something more to it than that."

"Ok you want a better reason then how about this I was also worried about you. I was terrified that if we got married any chance you had of a basketball career would go out the window. I was so scared that you would end up resenting me for getting in the way of your dreams."

"But surely you knew that none of that mattered to me if we couldn't be together. Basketball was never going to be the same without you. Let's face it you leaving certainly didn't save my basketball career if anything I gave up on any ambitions I had in that direction when you left. I didn't care about basketball all I cared about was finding you but it didn't seem to matter what I tried I just continually met dead ends. So what else have you got for me Hales because at the moment you have offered me nothing more than pathetic excuses? Anyone of those things you could have come to me and talked about but you didn't even try instead you took the cowards way out and ran away. Away from me and any chance we had of a life together."

Thinking about all these things from so long ago caused a surge of anger to course through his veins.

"Haley you had no right to walk out on me the way you did, to just throw away our future without even doing me the courtesy of saying goodbye. Who the hell made you God Haley? Who gave you the right to completely destroy my life? I thought we had our lives completely mapped out and then I wake up one morning to find you gone and no-one had the slightest idea of where you were. It nearly killed me Haley spending all my time sitting by the phone just praying you would call and tell me that you were ok but you never did and then five years later you come swanning back into town as if nothing ever happened."

Haley was mortified and she felt her emotions bubbling up inside her she had to get Nathan to stop. It was too much for her to bear. She had to say something, anything to make him stop.

"Nathan please, please just stop."

"Why the hell should I Haley do you honestly think that you don't at the very least deserve this?"

"No Nathan I know I do. I deserve this and so much more but please just not now. I can't deal with it."

"Oh well poor you. Lets all feel sorry for Haley."

She couldn't remember ever seeing Nathan so angry and it frightened her a little.

"Did you even once stop to consider how I was feeling Hales, just once?"

"Nathan please," she begged once again.

"No Haley you're not going to put me off this time. You are going to tell me everything whether you want to or not."

Haley could feel a pressure building up in her chest and she couldn't stop the words bubbling out. It was like a giant pressure valve had been released and everything that she had spent so long protecting was now on display for all to see.

"Fine Nathan you really want to know. Then here it is. I was pregnant."

Heaving a deep breath she continued in an almost robotic voice.

"I was pregnant and I didn't know who the father was."

**Spoilers:- Haley's secrets aren't over yet. Nathan's reaction.**


	24. If The Truth Be Told

**A.N First off I want to say WHOA. I guess that last chapter really got your attention hey. The reviews flooded in for that one. I know a lot of you have been fairly confused by what has been happening thus far and to be honest that has been kind of deliberate so I hope you can forgive me. But I amabout to start letting you in on the secrets that they've been keeping.SoI hope the build up has been worth it. Now on another note I just want to say a huge thankyou to everyone who has wrote in about my job situation. You guys don't even know me and your support has been overwhelming so thanks so much. You'll never know how much I appreciate it. At this stage I have a temp job for the next week so I honestly don't know whether I'll have access to a computer or not as it will be a live in position but I will do my damnedest to get some more updates up but if I can't then I'll just make sure I have lots of chapters wrote and ready to post when I do get access again. So enjoy the latest chapter and you will probably find that you get a couple more today. Ok I know this is turning into a marathon authors note but I just had to make one more small note. The name of Haley's baby is one that I've gotten from a major news story that is taking place in Australia. It is meant as a tribute and a form of support and I really hope no one takes offence.**

**heather dawn** I did try to warn you all that there were some major twists to come in this story. It certainly seems to have the desired effect judging by the reviews I have been recieving. This chapter should hopefully answer your questions and as for the update well I had to wait at least a little while for people to have a chance to read and review.

**Britt** Ok you're going to have to help me out here because I have no idea what kk means in your review. I'm getting old I can't help it. I'm glad that I was able to still surprise you guys with the whole not knowing who the father was. Just making her pregnant would have been a little too mainstream for one of my stories. It will be interesting to hear what you think of the full story behind her pregnancy in this chapter. Thanx for the review. You keep up the reviews and I'll be happy to continue with the updates. LOL.

**HipHopper92** You've got to love a bit of scandal well at least I do and I hope you feel the same way considering what else is to come in this story. As long as I keep getting reviews from you I can forgive you for being busy. (I guess) LOL. Thanx for the good luck message. Trust me I need all the luck I can get right now. I hate job hunting.

**Jenna** Well your questions are about to be answered I hope you're ready for this. I guess at least as fat as addictions go this one is healthier than some. Now you're making me feel like a drug dealer feeding your addictions. Glad you're still enjoying it.

**sammyjo5678** I'm glad that I did manage to surprise some people. But the shocks don't end there so hold onto your seats because there is some definite turbulence ahead. I'm really glad that you're enjoying this story so much.

**cherrymfzb** I'm glad you enjoyed the story of their engagement. I did try to tell everyone after that other chapter that Tim had a part to play in this story and now you are all about to find out exactly what it is. I can't wait to readyour new story about how Naley got together. Are you still going to continue Eggs Over Easy? I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next with it.

**MeSpikeAndAngelinA3sum** Ok so I'm sensing a slight degree of shock about the ending of the last chapter. Don't know what is giving me that impression. LOL. I figured the story of their engagement would be a nice little filler for that chapter so I'm glad that you enjoyed it. I wish I could say that I'll definitely be able to continue updating next week but at this stage I honestly don't know.

**famousindafuture** So I'm guessing I managed to surprise you with the ending of the last chapter. Hope you're ready for some more surprises as the story progresses.

**hilaryhilary** Have to say I'm feeling a slight sense of relief that you arehalf way across the world from me.Do you always threaten the writers of stories you review? LOL. Anyway yes congratulations you did get a bit of an inkling as to what was about to happen but don't get too cocky I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. Enjoy the anger management classes.

**catc20** She's back. I was wondering what had happened to you.Figured you just got bored waiting for my updates and moved on to some other story. I always love getting your reviews you are one of the ones I can count on to leave lengthy reviews going into details about what it isthat you enjoyed.As much as I appreciate all my reviewers it gets a bit hard to know what it is I'm doing right or wrong when the comments are a bitinnocuous.So yes welcome back. Anyway I know I have made things a touch confusing but it was basically just a lame attempt toperk people's curiosityso they would continue reading. But finally with so many questionsswimming around everyone's heads I am starting to give some answers. Oh and in answer to your question about Brooke and Lucas sharing the gossip that was just Lucas telling Brooke aboutJosh being in town. So that's one less mystery you have to worry about. This chapter should answer your questions about Haley's baby too and its parentage and lets just say that Nathan's reaction is anything but bland. Thanx so much for the birthday wishes and the support about my job situation. What can I say sometimes life is shit which isa good reason to lose myself in the lives of Nate, Haley and evenJosh even though everyone seems to hate him. Gee can't imagine why. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the chapters to come.

**unfolddream**Thought it was about time I finished a chapter on a cliffhanger again. Things have all been a bit too nice and calm. Time for drama. This chapter should hopefully answer all your questions about the baby and its daddy. Nathan is a cocky bastard isn't he but hey that's why we love him well at least why I do.

**Chapter Twenty-four**.

Her words seemed to reverberate throughout the room playing over and over in his mind. _"I was pregnant and I didn't know who the father was?"_

_Surely I must have misheard her she couldn't have said what I thought she did. __Haley wouldn't have cheated on me._

When his voice came it was almost wooden.

"What do you mean?"

The sound of his voice so quiet and almost eerily calm sent a shiver down her spine. She was used to hearing Nathan yell when something upset him but to hear him so quiet in his reaction to what must have been such devastating news scared her more than all the yelling in the world could have done.

Sinking back down onto the chair behind her she looked down at her hands surprised to see them trembling in her lap. She clasped them together trying to get the trembling to stop but found it impossible. She could feel tears spilling out onto her cheeks and could not bring herself to look at him, terrified of what she might see.

"What did you mean?" he repeated his voice harsh in the stillness of the room.

The sound of his voice caused her to jump and she found her eyes as if with a will of their own lifting to look at his face. His eyes were fixed on her face staring blankly at her almost as if he had never seen her before and was looking at a stranger.

"Nathan do you remember that party we went to about two months before graduation at Brooke's house?"

She saw his slight nod of affirmation and continued.

"You decided to leave a little early that night and I was going to stay with Brooke because she was upset."

"She'd been fighting with Lucas." Once again his mechanical voice chimed in.

"That's right," she said.

"When you left there weren't many people left and Lucas came back to try to talk things out with Brooke."

His head jerked up at her words.

"If you're about to tell me that the baby was my brother's then save your breath because I know for a fact that he has never cheated on Brooke and would never cheat on her no matter what the circumstances."

"Nathan please just let me talk I'm never going to get through this if you interrupt me. Of course Lucas didn't cheat on Brooke. What I was going to say was that Lucas came back and he took Brooke out for a drive so they could talk. I was a bit drunk so I decided to go to bed but before I could Tim appeared from one of the bedrooms and asked me to have a drink with him."

Nathan by now was watching her with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief but she could also see a fear in his eyes that whatever she was about to say would spell the end of things between them forever. Seeing he wasn't going to interrupt again she continued.

"I didn't realise that he had put something in my drink until a lot later. He took me into one of the bedrooms and he raped me. I'm so sorry Nathan but there was nothing I could do. There was no one there to hear me when I tried to tell him no and I just couldn't get him to stop. I tried to fight him off but it was like my legs and arms were powerless. After he finished he simply got up and walked away. He never said a word the whole time. Nathan you have to know I have never told anyone this not even Brooke when she got home later that night."

Nathan was looking at her now with what could only be described as morbid fascination.

"About six weeks later I found out I was pregnant. I was in shock I had no idea what I should do. We were about to graduate and we had our whole lives ahead of us."

Nathan spoke for the first time since he had thought she was accusing Lucas of being the father.

"Why didn't you tell me Haley? You had no way of knowing that it wasn't my baby."

"I wasn't thinking straight Nathan all I could think was that I had to get away from Tree Hill, Tim and even you. I couldn't bear the possibility that if you found out I might see you look at me with hate in your eyes."

She hung her head then trying to gather her thoughts there was so much more that he still didn't know but how much should she tell him.

_**Flashback**_

_Getting up from Nathan's bed that morning had been one of the hardest things she had ever done. __Her heart had constricted in her chest as she watched him laying there so content and happy. __For a moment she stopped and second guessed herself for what felt like the millionth time since she had made her decision to leave town. __She truly didn't know whether she possessed the strength to walk away from everything that she and Nathan had shared._

_A wave of sickness washing over her reminded her again of just why she had to leave and so she leaned over the bed placing a lingering kiss on Nathan's lips and whispered "I love you Nathan, I always will."_

_Nathan's lips curved into a grin at the feel of her lips against his and he burrowed further down under the covers. __Holding back the sob that welled up in her throat she placed a hand over her mouth and picked up her bag rushing out of the room. __She ran all the way home letting herself silently through the front door and grabbing the suitcase she had hidden in the hall closet before taking one last look around the building that she had been raised in and walking quickly out the door. __The cab that she had ordered arrived minutes later and hopping in with her suitcase she told him her destination._

_"The train station please."_

_The cab driver had attempted to chat to her during the drive but she had sat in silence dwelling on what she had just done. __She could only hope that one day Nathan would forgive her. __She knew she would most likely never see him again but she couldn't bear the thought of him hating her for the rest of their lives. __One day she hoped he would be able to look back on their time together with a smile on his face._

_The first few months in Chicago had been terrible. __She had suffered horribly with morning sickness and found herself feeling almost indifferent to the presence of the tiny human growing inside of her. __Every morning she had woken up with the possibility of bringing this all to an end with a simple visit to a clinic running through her mind. __So many times she had stood in front of the doors to the building trying to gather the necessary courage to enter. __The one time she had forced herself to enter the building she had found herself confronted with a sympathetic nurse_

_"Is there something I can do for you dear?"_

_Haley had opened her mouth to speak but the words simply would not come._

_"Are you here to book an appointment?" the nurse continued gently obviously used to young, scared women coming in each day terrified of the choice that confronted them._

_Haley had nodded mutely._

_"Ok well let me give you some literature that you can have a read of at home. __If you decide to go ahead with this the first thing we are going to need to do is book you an appointment with a counselor."_

_Haley nodded once more still unable to force her vocal chords into action._

_"Honey why don't you go home and read the pamphlets I've given you then when you've decided what it is you want to do you can come back here and discuss your options with us."_

_Finally finding her voice Haley allowed a sad smile to cross her face._

_"Thank you I will."_

_She walked out the door clutching the pamphlets to her chest barely aware of anything around her. __A scream of "Murderer," broke her out of her trance and she looked up to see a small group of people milling around with home made placards looking at her as if she was the scum of the earth._

_"I don't think she's done it yet," one of them said to the man standing next to her "Look she's only just got the literature. __There's still time to save this one."_

_They surged forward crowding around her._

_"Don't do it," one woman begged._

_"You'll regret it for the rest of your life," another one insisted._

_"Think of that poor little baby," a man urged her "so helpless, depending on you for its life."_

_Haley tried to brush past them "please" she begged "just leave me alone. __You don't understand."_

_"What is there to understand?" the first woman demanded "you've been given this wonderful gift from God and now you want to throw it away like a piece of garbage."_

_"It's a human being," the other woman chimed in._

_"Please," the man said "just take your time to think very carefully about this. __It isn't something you can ever go back and fix. __Do you honestly believe that you will be able to live with that guilt for the rest of your life?"_

_"Why not?" Haley muttered "I can just add it in with all the rest."_

_Finally pushing past them she headed out to the street and hailed a cab. __When she arrived home she pulled out the literature she had shoved into her bag before getting into the cab. __Scanning over it her gaze halted on the word **termination**._

_What was she doing there was no way she could do this?_

_Pitching the offending bit of paper across the room she buried her head in her hands and for the first time since she had left allowed the tears to flow. __She remained in that position for over an hour crying until there were no tears left._

_The rest of her pregnancy had passed by with her barely aware of what was happening. __She rarely ate and more often than not found herself unable to sleep. __It is said most women get an inner glow while pregnant but nothing could be further from the truth in Haley's case._

_Her physical appearance changed drastically during her pregnancy but other than the small bump of her stomach none of the changes would be considered positive. __Her face was wan and her hair lacked the lustre that it once had. __She rarely smiled and spent most of her time holed up at home speaking to no one._

_One day that was just like so many before it Haley sat at home alone hugging a pillow to her chest and wondering for the hundredth time what she had ever done to deserve the life she now had. __Laying back she rested a bowl of potato chips on her stomach. __Sick of going through the same bout of self recrimination she flicked the TV on with the remote and settled back to watch. __As she watched Deacon and Amber cavort on the screen she allowed a small smile to cross her lips._

_If only real life could be like a soap opera she thought. __Obviously on The Bold and The Beautiful nothing can truly pervert the course to true love._

_Reaching towards the bowl she picked out a small handful of chips and ruefully realised that this was the first thing she had eaten in the last 24 hours. __Pulling her hand away she turned her attention back to the TV only to find it diverted moments later by the bowl of chips flying off her stomach. __For a moment she stared at it in wonder with no idea as to what had happened. __Feeling a sharp jab in her stomach she placed her hand on the spot and felt a movement almost immediately. __Her baby was kicking. __She was seven months pregnant and for the first time she was feeling her baby moving strongly. __She knew she was responsible for the fact that the baby hadn't moved much in the past due to her poor eating habits but to be honest she had done her best to ignore the presence of the other human occupying her body. __Now she was being reminded of it in the most blatant possible fashion._

_She was going to be a mother and i__t was time she started acting like one. __Sitting up she looked around her and it was as if a curtain that had been cordoning her off from the real world was suddenly lifted. __Her apartment was a mess but that could wait the first thing she needed to do was get some nourishment into that poor little baby and herself. __Standing up she walked to her fridge and grimaced in distaste as she realised how little food she actually had. __Picking up her purse she headed out the door. __It was time to do some shopping._

_That day had brought about a realisation in Haley that no matter what the circumstances surrounding her pregnancy the fact remained that she had a tiny baby inside of her that was responsible for nothing that had happened. __For too long she had looked at this baby as the crux of all her problems but this baby hadn't asked to be born and it was time for her to start acting like the mother she was soon to be. __For the next month and a half she threw herself into preparing for the arrival of the baby._

_She made a nursery in the spare bedroom of herapartment and bought lots of clothes for the daughter that she wasconvinced she was going to have. __Names were chosen and toys were bought and it was only at night when Haley stopped her rushing around that she remembered all the times that she had imagined doing these things with Nathan for the children that she had been so sure they would one day have._

_The day that she went into labour had started much as any other had in the last few months with her struggling to get herself out of bed in time to rush to the toilet to relieve her overworked bladder. __When she waddled into the kitchen a few minutes later to fix her breakfast she had found herself standing in a puddle of water. __While at first she had looked for the leak that she was sure must have burst in her kitchen plumbing she had soon been confronted with the realisation that the liquid was actually coming from her._

_In a panic she had grabbed the bag that she had packed the week before and called a cab. __Arriving at the hospital alone had been a daunting experience and she couldn't help but think that this was not how it was supposed to be. __She should know without doubt that this was Nathan's baby and they should be here together preparing to welcome their child into the world. __Walking to the nurse's station she clutched her stomach as a strong contraction hit._

_"Excuse me can someone please help me I'm in labour?_

_The nurse had called for help and had taken her to a room to prepare for the birth. __Sitting with her she asked the necessary questions to complete the required paperwork._

_"Ok Miss James the doctor is here now."_

_The doctor did the necessary examination._

_"Well Miss James I hope you are ready for this because your baby is not going to wait much longer to make its appearance."_

_The nurse looked at her with concern._

_"Are you sure there's no one you want me to call for you dear?"_

_"No," Haley answered "I have no one."_

_Suddenly she gripped the sides of the bed._

_"Oh God I think I need to push."_

_"Just do what feels right." the doctor told her "if you need to push then do it."_

_Half an hour later Haley gave one final push and felt something slippery between her thighs._

_"Is that my baby? __Let me see it."_

_**End Flashback**_

Nathan broke into her thoughts then "So where is it Haley? Where's the baby?"

Haley stifled a sob as she looked him in the eyes properly for the first time since she had arrived.

"She's dead Nathan. Our baby is dead."

_**Flashback**_

_"Where's my baby why won't you let me see it?"_

_"Haley honey I'm so sorry," said the nurse._

_"Why?" Haley screamed "what do you have to be sorry about?"_

_"Honey, she didn't survive the birth."_

_"She…" Haley sobbed. __"I have a daughter."_

_Tears cascaded down her face as the tiny limp body was placed on her chest wrapped in a blanket._

_"Oh my baby, I'm so sorry. __I'm so sorry."_

_When Haley was released from hospital a few days later she went home alone to an empty apartment filled with everything she had so lovingly prepared for her baby. __Her life had spiraled into a depression like nothing she had ever experienced before for even in the lowest moments of her pregnancy she had never felt like this. __One day several weeks later she had dragged herself out of the house and down to the local market._

_She was a mess and although she knew it she was beyond caring. __Nothing mattered without her precious baby. __Standing at the checkout with her meagre grocery shopping her attention had been drawn to the magazine rack in front of her. __Letting out an animal like wail she dropped the basket containing her groceries onto the floor. __Grabbing the magazine she avidly read the words printed there._

_**Tim Smith, Lakers Star proven infertile**._

_Flicking through till she found the relevant article she read in disbelief. __Apparently Tim was the latest up and coming star of the Lakers and a woman was accusing him of getting her pregnant. __Tim was suing on the grounds that he had been medically proven to be infertile._

_Clutching the magazine to her chest Haley threw five dollars towards the cashier and ran out the door. __Barely managing to reach the car before the tears began to flow she collapsed to the ground sobbing._

_Her baby, her precious baby girl was Nathan's. __Their baby was dead and Nathan would never know her, never have the chance to hold her. __Tim had stolen that from them along with everything else that had ever mattered. __But Tim was not the one most at fault in her own mind. __Deep down she blamed herself and she probably always would._

_She had actually considered ending their baby's life in the very early stages and now that baby was dead. __This was obviously the universes way of punishing her. __How was she ever going to be able to look Nathan in the eye again knowing that she was responsible for Schapelle's death?_

_**End Flashback**_

Nathan was staring at her as if he no longer knew who she was.

Standing up he turned and walked quickly to the door without a word.

Haley fell to her knees and screamed after him.

"Nathan…. Nathan please don't leave me."

Her cries were met with silence and then moments later the roar of his engine and the sound of his car pealing out of the drive.

"Oh God Nathan please." Haley sobbed.

**"Please don't leave me."**

**Spoilers:-** **Where is Nathan? Haley reaches a decision after a news report.**


	25. A Past Resolved

**A.N I'm glad that I still managed to surprise some of you with the last chapter. A lot of you had suspected she was pregnant but apparently the circumstances behind it still caused a few of you a bit of a shock. This may be the last update for a while unless I get lucky and actually have internet access next week. So don't hate me if I don't update as quickly as you would like me to because trust me it will be killing me too. I don't know who allowed real life to interfere but whoever they are they have a lot to answer for. Anyway hope you enjoy the chapter and I promise I won't make you wait any longer than is absolutely necessary for the next one.**

**hilaryhilary** Gee I feel so privileged. I'm the only recipient of your constant threats. Lucky me. It probably sounds horrible to say it like this but I'm glad you found it sad. I assume you know what I mean by that from my earlier email.

**heather dawn** This chapter should give you the answer about your suspicions of where Nate has gone. Glad you enjoyed it.

**kaos2405** Hey Jess what can I say I have an overactive imagination. I couldn't just let it be the same old she ran away because she was pregnant and hey wha la here's your son who looks exactly like you and is addicted to basketball. No offence to people who write those stories but I just personally wanted to do something a little different. You have no idea how glad I am to have finally found a use for my warped imagination. Hope you're planning to post another update today.

**firefightersgal** Hey welcome aboard. Glad to have another reviewer. Yes it was a very hard thing for Haley to go through on her own and I'm glad I was able to express it in a way that didn't make it sound trivial. As for what Nathan's up to well this chapter should answer that question. Hope you enjoy it.

**Cap'n Keira Sparrow** Yes when Haley keeps a secret she doesn't do it by halves. Glad that it managed to have some shockvalue for you. All I can say about Nate and Haley working things out is you will have to wait and see.

**MeSpikeAndAngelinA3sum **Ok so the major emotion that seemed to be emanating from your review was shock. Would I be right in thinking that you were a little surprised by the extent of Haley's secrets. Hope you've managed to close your mouth now because with any luck I will be causing it to drop again within the next few chapters.

**sammyjo5678** Wow you really know how to give a girls ego a boost. Thanx for the compliments but seriously I'm really happy that you are enjoying this story so much. It makes my day when I get such enthusiastic reviews. I'm also happy that I managed to convey some emotion into my writing about the loss of Haley's baby. It was obviously supposed to have been a fairly traumatic event for her.

**unfolddream** Yes I love the name Schapelle too but as I said in my author's note it was more as a form of support for the Australian girl being held in an Indonesian prison at the moment. It was a hot topic of conversation while I was away on holdiay the other week and I thought it might be a good way to show some support.I have a bit of a love for taking one of the regular characters and turning them into the evil one. Remember Brooke in GITD. Couldn't make her the bac one again or all the Brooke supporters would probably have had me lynched so Tim seemed a good choice. Glad you're still enjoying it. Hope you like this chapter too.

**HipHopper92** Yeah I guess the last chapter was pretty dramatic. Glad you enjoyed it. Looking forward to hearing what you think of this one.

**catc20** Well I guess thats when you know things are getting bad when you're actually glad that a character got raped. LOL. But I know what you mean there was no way Haley was going to have consensual sex with another guy. Not in my story. No way. Guess that means her and Josh must have a pretty boring time in bed huh? I hope I handled the whole abortion topic ok its a very sensitive subject and I didn't want to sound like I was advocating one way or the other. Poor Haley has had a pretty tough time in the last five years but I guess we'll all just have to hope that there are better things ahead. Oh hang on I just remembered what else I have planned. Poor girl. I guess there are still a few mysteries to be solved so hopefully that should keep everyone's interest until I'm able to get back in front of a computer. I very much doubt that I'll get sick of your reviews. They always bring a smile to my face without fail.

**Jaeli** Hey good to hear from you again. I'm glad that you're still enjoying the story but unfortunately there are some major bumps in the road ahead for Naley.

**Chapter Twenty-five**

Hours later Haley dialed his number for what felt like the fiftieth time, she listened to the sound of his phone ringing and sighed resignedly as she realised that once again he was not going to answer. Hearing his familiar voice as he delivered his request for whoever was calling to please leave him a message she had to fight back the tears.

_What if she never heard his voice again other than this recording?_

Haltingly she attempted to leave him a message. She kept it simple and to the point.

"Nathan its Haley if you get this message please call me back as soon as possible. I uh hope you call soon."

Hanging up she once again began pacing much the same as she had been for the past hour and a half. Then just as she had many times since he had left earlier that night she hit the redial button and gave him one more try. When the call was automatically diverted to his voicemail she threw the phone across the room in disgust although if she was to be honest it was more in disgust with herself. She had managed to completely destroy everything and all because she decided to unburden herself on to him.

Looking back at it now she didn't believe that she had any justification for unloading everything on to Nathan the way she had. He had gotten by just fine for the last five years not knowing the gory truth behind her disappearance and now he did and there was no changing it. It wasn't like by knowing he could somehow go back and change the past and magically take away the entire trauma that they had both suffered. Over and over she berated herself for her own selfishness, because without doubt in her mind that was what had led them to this point.

_I was selfish and now Nathan is the one that has to pay for it._

_What was I thinking telling him about Schapelle like that?_

_No good was ever going to come of it._

_All I've done is destroy him the same way I was destroyed by this whole thing._

She was physically and mentally exhausted. Looking at the phone lying on the floor she walked over picking it up to take it in the bedroom determined that if by the slightest chance he did call she would be ready and waiting for him. That was one call that she could not afford to miss. Her whole future depended on getting that phone call.

Despite her exhaustion she took a long time to fall asleep and instead lay awake worrying about where Nathan could possibly be and whether he was ok. Eventually though her fatigue had won the battle it had been waging against the guilt that had prevented her from sleeping and she had drifted off. It had however lasted only until the early hours of the morning where she had found herself wide awake and once again worrying about Nathan.

Standing up from the bed she walked to where the phone lay. Looking at it she prayed that there had been a call and she had been simply too exhausted to hear it. Maybe just maybe there would be a voice message from him telling her it was all going to be ok. Hardly daring to breathe she picked up the phone and brought it to her ear dialling the voicemail number as she did.

When the mechanical voice began to speak she actually had to grip onto the headboard of the bed to hold herself up as her legs turned to jelly beneath her. She almost moaned in despair as she received the information that she had no new messages.

Drawing herself up straight she went to the kitchen to make some coffee before going to the living room and switching on the TV. She needed a distraction that would help her to stop thinking about Nathan and where he might be and what he must be thinking of her.

Seeing that the news was just about to start she fixed her attention to the screen ready to lose herself in the worlds problems as opposed to her own. As the presenter began to speak pictures of a fire flashed up behind her. Haley listened half heartedly to the details of the fire. She felt bad for the people involved but her mind really wasn't on their plight. Try as she might she could not stop thinking about Nathan and wondering where he was.

As she watched the images of the fire faded from the screen and were replaced by the one face she had hoped never to see again although considering his chosen career it was almost certainly a case of wishful thinking. Tim Smith's grinning face filled the screen and Haley felt an inexplicable dread in the pit of the stomach. She tried to explain it away as simple resentment of the man who had destroyed her lift but there was something more to it and she was filled with foreboding. She didn't know why Tim was on the news but whatever the reason she was sure it did not bode well for her future with Nathan. Her mind flashed with a myriad of possibilities in the short space of time between when Tim's grinning visage flashed up on screen and the announcer began to relate the details of the story surrounding him.

_"In news just in we have reports that star L.A Lakers player Tim Smith was attacked in the early hours of this morning at his home in Beverly Hills. Witnesses from the hospital where he was admitted for treatment have claimed that he appeared to have been badly beaten. At this stage there is no word on who the perpetrator might be but Police are continuing with their investigations. Standing by at the hospital with all the latest information on this breaking story is Julia Simpson. Julia what else can you tell us?"_

_"Thanks Ron, well the biggest development at the moment is the persistent rumours that Tim Smith has requested Police to discontinue their investigations. Insiders are speculating that this is because Tim Smith actually knew his attacker. If that is the case we can only assume that Mr Smith may have actually known this was coming or perhaps even did something in his past to result in this attack. We'll be reporting back throughout the day with any further developments. Until then I'm Julia Simpson reporting to you livefrom Memorial Hospital."_

As the news presenter moved onto another story Haley slowly became aware of her surroundings once again. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind about who the perpetrator was. She had been fairly certain when she had heard the news that Tim had been beaten but when she found out that he was not going to press charges she had known for sure. Nathan must have gone directly to the airport after he left her the night before and got on a plane to Los Angeles. Her heart lifted as she realised that obviously that was why she had not been able to contact him the night before he must have had his phone switched off for the flight. It wasas if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders and rushing into the bedroom she grabbed the phone once again with shaking hands dialling the digits that would allow her to speak to him.

Although she had done her utmost to convince herself that everything was now going to be ok she could still feel the knots of tension in her stomach as she waited for him to answer. Just as she was about to give up he answered on the sixth ring.

"Yeah," he said with no emotion.

"Nathan it's me, are you ok? I've been trying to call you ever since you left last night."

"You think I don't know that," he said and Haley heard the hard edge to his voice and felt her heart rise up into her throat.

"I would have thought that when I made no effort to call you back that you would have got the message that Idon't want to speak to you," he said harshly, "but I guess that was too much to hope for."

She could feel the tears stinging in the corners of her eyes and made no effort to prevent them from cascading down her cheeks.

"What… what do you mean?" she choked out.

"God Halesisn't it obviousor doI have to spell it out for you. I never want to see you again. So why don't you run on back to Chicago and maybe get a job there although if I were you I wouldn't bother with teaching lets face it you suck as a teacher. Who knows maybe Josh is still waiting for you. Good luck with that" and without another word he hung up leaving her sitting on the floor in shock.

When she finally managed to force herself up from the floor quite some time later she looked around the room in despair. There was nothing left here in Tree Hill for her anymore and she realised that however much she might not want to admit it maybe Nathan had a point. It was time for her to leave Tree Hill and her past with Nathan behind.

As she thoughtback over the time she had spent in Tree Hill and Barbados she came to a realisation. She and Nathan had tried to recapture something that was long ago over without being prepared to allow the real world into the fantasy they had tried to create, whereas she and Josh had existed solely in reality.

Maybeshe belonged with Josh after all. All she knew right now was that she needed the security that had always been such a big part of their relationship.

Walking around the bedroom she quickly gathered up a suitcase full of belongings before going to the bathroom and collecting a few items from the cupboard. She didn't want to waste anymore time than she had to packing she would take only what she could fit into a suitcase and the rest could be sent on later she was sure Brooke would help her out when she found out the circumstances surrounding her departure. She was terrified that if she allowed herself too much time the ever present doubts would once again begin to creep in.

Locking the front door she had to fight away the tears that welled in her eyes. She couldn't ignore the knowledge present deep within her that this was the end of a significant chapter of her life. The childhood sweetheart relationship that she and Nathan had was now officially a thing of the past. She got into the car and started the engine headed back to Chicago. Thinking back to the reasons that she had returned to Tree Hill in the first place sheattempted to smile through her tears. Speaking out loud to the emptiness of the car she said.

"My past is finally resolved."

Tears cascaded down her face as she drove back to her old life with no real idea of just what her life would be from now on.

**Spoilers:-** **Haley thinks about everything that happens, Flashback to Barbados, Yet another shock for Haley.**


	26. Author's apology

**Author's Note**

**Hi Guys I know a lot of you are wondering what has happened to me since I haven't been updating and I just wanted to assure you that I will be doing just that as soon as I possibly can. At the moment the only internet access I have is at internet cafe's so the chapters that I have wrote are still on my laptop and cannot be uploaded at this stage. Hopefully I'll be getting internet at home soon as I have just moved into a new place but what can I say living with men is never a simple business. Anyway I'm really sorry that I haven't been updating and I promise that it is killing me too because I would like nothing better than to fill all my free time with some updates at the moment as I am still not working. Hope you can all forgive me and I will do my best to get internet access at home as soon as humanly possible. Hope you won't give up on me and the story. Unfortunately life just gets in the way sometimes. Thanx to everyone who has been emailing me and reviewing asking for updates, its great to know so many of you are so hooked to my story.**

**Ange x.**


	27. Nothing's As It Should Be

**A.N Hey guys a bit drunk so am just giving you a quick note to tell you that I am so glad to be back and I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's long overdue I know. I won't be doing individual shout outs in this chapter because there have been so many reviews for this chapter and if I responded to every one then I would take up far too much space but just want to say thanks for waiting so patiently for me to update. Hope it was worth it for you all. A big thank you to all my new reviewers who have commented on this chapter.**

**Chapter Twenty-six**

As she drove she tried to erase the images from her mind of everything that had occurred in the past twenty-four hours. She could hardly believe that now five years later Tim was once again destroying any chance she had of a life with Nathan. Never in her young life had she ever felt what it was to truly hate someone until Tim Smith had shattered every hope and dream that she had ever possessed in one callous act. The worst part was that even now the repercussions of that night were still reverberating throughout her life and she couldn't help but wonder if she would ever truly be free of it.

Tim had somehow managed to insinuate his way into her life once again even though she had not laid eyes on him since that fateful night five years ago. Her mind flashed back to that night in Barbados when she had been on her way to meet Nathan, for a moment she had thought she had seen him but had convinced herself that it wasn't true.

What if it was Tim? Would it have somehow made a difference to the situation I'm now in? Maybe I would have told Nathan the truth earlier and we wouldn't have ever reconnected in Barbados. If we hadn't maybe I wouldn't be hurting the way I am now.

As all the possibilities flashed through her mind she couldn't help but wonder how different her life could have been if Tim had never raped her.

Would her relationship with Nathan have lasted? Would they have been married now raising at least one child maybe more? But as much as her life had been affected she also knew that she was not the only one to lose out. Nathan had missed out on so much too.

He could have been a basketball star but had given it all up when she left but perhaps most devastating was the fact that he had never had the opportunity to know or hold his daughter and it was all because of Tim Smith. That man had caused so much carnage in so many lives and yet he seemed to have gone unpunished. Where was the universes reprisal for his actions? How could someone do what he had done and then go on to live a life of luxury, fame and prestige? There was no justice in this world. She was now sure of it.

Looking up at the approaching sign she saw she still had another 150 miles to go before she reached Chicago. The sun continued to shine brightly although she knew that within an hour it would go down and she wondered what sort of irony was at work here. She felt as if her life was ending and yet the sun shone brightly from above. If this had been a TV show or book you could almost guarantee that it would have been pouring with rain and the day as dark and dreary as her mood but here in the real world the sun continued to shine.

Her mind flickered back to her time in Barbados and as the images crowded into her mind it was all she could do to keep the car on the road. Deciding that she was far enough away from Tree Hill now to no longer run the risk of anyone she knew finding her she pulled over to the side of the road and allowed her mind to drift back to what in recent memory had been the best time in her life.

FlashbackHaley woke up to find Nathan perched on his elbow watching her with a huge grin on his face.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked slightly unsettled by his scrutiny.

"Like what?" he asked innocently.

"Like you know something I don't." she replied.

He continued to smile at her for a moment until she slapped his arm lightly. His laughter only served to irritate her further.

"Stop it," she demanded.

"Hales I can't help it if I like the sight of you naked in my bed. Trust me the sight I'm looking at now would be enough to bring a smile to any guy's face."

She blushed slightly as he continued to gaze at her with unabashed admiration. Wanting to draw his attention elsewhere she pulled the sheet up to her chin.

"You know," she said conversationally "when you told me we would be coming to Barbados the last thing I expected to be doing was spending all my time in bed."

"Really? That's exactly what I was hoping for."

She slapped his arm again playfully pouting slightly.

"Nathan be serious."

"I'm very serious," he told her "and I haven't exactly heard you complaining either," he said with more than a hint of arrogance.

"I never said I was complaining it's just that here we are in this beautiful place and I've hardly seen the outside of our hotel room lately."

"So what are you suggesting?" he asked her quizzically "you actually want to get out of bed?"

The way he said it anyone would think she had just suggested that they take their next holiday on Mars.

"Well it might be nice to go for a swim," she said.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" he asked as his left hand slid under the sheet and began tracing tantalizing patterns up her thigh.

Her hand came to rest on his halting its exploration of the bare skin of her leg.

"I don't know Hales being around other people you might have to control all those wanton urges you get when you're around me."

For a moment she looked at him in pure unadulterated shock.

"Me," she spluttered "what do mean my wanton urges?"

"Well correct me if I'm wrong but it was your idea to order the whipped cream from room service last night?" his eyes took on an almost dreamy expression as the images played back in his mind.

Her cheeks flushed once more with embarrassment at his words.

"Maybe so," she admitted cautiously "but the melted chocolate was all your idea."

"Didn't hear you complaining," he said his smug smirk back in place. "In fact why don't we make another call to Room service right now? Maybe we could get them to send up some honey this time?"

For a moment Haley too zoned out as she considered just what fun they could have with the sticky honey. Hearing Nathan's laughter she snapped her thoughts back to the matter at hand. "We're getting completely off topic here the point is I want to go swimming."

Shrugging his shoulders resignedly "alright Hales if that's what you want." Can I make one minor request though?"

She looked at him curiously as she waited for him to continue.

"I guess," she said nervously "but it depends what it is. If you think I'm going to go skinny dipping in the hotel pool you are out of your mind."

"Hales do you really have that little faith in me?" he said giving her his best wounded puppy expression "besides" he continued" I don't want anyone else seeing this," he said pulling the sheet from her loosened grasp and running an admiring eye over her body. "This is all for me."

"So what is it?" she asked still looking at him warily.

"Nothing much," he told her once again the picture of innocence, "I was just wondering if you still had that bikini Brooke packed for you?"

"No way," she said firmly ignoring the flash of lust in his eyes as he clearly went off into his own little fantasy world remembering how she had looked in it last time. "Nathan stop it," she said harshly as a smile crossed his face but rather than stopping his grin broadened. "Nathan," she said warningly but found he still ignored her. Reaching up she pinched the skin on his arm hard.

"Ow Hales what was that for?" he said rubbing his arm.

"I know what you were thinking," she told him.

"You know Hales we're really going to have to work on these violent tendencies of yours. First off you bite me in front of my mom when all I was trying to do was give you a little good morning kiss, now today you're slapping me and to top it all off you decided to pinch me. Maybe you should consider some anger management classes? You've obviously got issues," he told her with a grin.

Haley stared at him in disbelief "you have got to be kidding me?" she said "I'm the most mild mannered person I know if I'm getting violent then it must be your effect on me," she told him vehemently.

"That's right Hales it's always my fault isn't it?" he said with a laugh. "So are we going swimming or not?" he asked as he left the bed and jauntily walked across the room completely unashamed of his nudity.

"Oh my God Nathan you would have to be one of the most frustrating people on this planet," she said tossing the nearest pillow in the direction of his head.

He caught it easily and casually placed it on the chair beside him.

"So are you going to wear the bikini?"

Half an hour later she emerged from the bathroom dressed in one of the slightly less revealing bikinis she had chosen with Brooke. She watched as Nathan's eyes lit up at the sight of her and couldn't suppress the surge of feminine pride that coursed through her body when Nathan looked at her like that.

"Let's go," he said holding the door open for her to precede him out of the room. As she passed by him he lightly pinched her ass. "But before we go Hales lets make a little bet."

"What kind of bet?" she asked the hackles on the back of her neck rising as he looked at her so confidently.

"I'll bet you can't keep your hands off me in the pool," he said cockily.

"You have got to be kidding me?" she said.

"Nope no joke," he said.

"What are the stakes?" she asked.

"Why worried you're going to lose?" he asked.

"No." she said vehemently.

"Well then the stakes really shouldn't matter then should they?" The way he was looking at her she knew that he expected her to refuse but this was one bet that there was no way she was going to lose.

"You're on," she said determinedly.

Walking down to the pool area she smiled to herself he honestly thought that she couldn't control herself around him. He was in for a shock.

Dropping her towel and sunglasses onto one of the deck chairs by the edge of the pool she stood up turning just as Nathan lifted his t-shirt over his head. She had to fight to contain her involuntary gasp. It didn't matter how many times she saw him in various states of undress his muscular body never failed to impress her. His torso glistened in the sun and the muscles of his chest contracted as he stretched his hands up above his head. Placing the t-shirt onto another deck chair he looked up suddenly catching her intent gaze on his body and grinned at her "You're never going to last."

Turning away from him deliberately she made her way to the pool dipping a foot into the water as she debated the best way to go about getting in. Normally she would just dive in but glancing down at her bikini top she quickly dismissed that idea. There was no way she wanted to risk any body parts escaping unexpectedly. She was so lost in thought for the moment that she didn't hear Nathan quietly making his way up behind her until it was too late. It was almost the exact moment that she sensed his presence that his arms slid around her waist scooping her up for barely a moment before tossing her into the pool.

Surfacing seconds later she spluttered in disbelief "you did not just do that," kicking lightly she reached the edge of the pool and immediately made a grab for his ankles but he evaded her grasp easily and instead executed a near perfect dive into the cool water.

"Do you mind explaining to me just what that was about?"

"What?" He asked shrugging innocently reaching out under the water and grabbing her ankle as she treaded water yanking it sharply so that for a few seconds she disappeared under the water once again.

"Oh you are so going to pay for that," she told him moving behind him and placing her hands on his shoulders using all her weight to try and push him under. He laughed as she completely failed in her attempt.

"Fine," she said "you want to be like that then that's fine by me. I came here to swim anyway." Turning away from him she struck out to swim away from him but he caught her easily around the waist pulling her back against his body.

"Don't be like that Hales," he admonished her lightly.

His hand was tracing patterns on her exposed midriff under the water. His lips were close to his ear as he spoke once again. "You know you don't really want to swim Hales."

"Actually I do," she told him firmly trying to pry his hands from her waist.

"You would really rather swim than this?" he asked as his lips found her earlobe pulling gently on it. His hand that before had been moving against her stomach now dropped lower to trace the lines of her bikini bottoms.

She tried to fight the feelings he was arising within her telling herself that she would rather swim but her traitorous body refused to listen to the messages she was desperately trying to send out.

Pulling away slightly she turned around to face him looping her arms around his neck. "What happened to your desperate urge to swim?" he asked as her lips found his neck sucking and nibbling at the skin.

"Who me?" she asked innocently "I don't want to swim."

He grinned at her before claiming her lips with his own. Her response to his kiss was enthusiastic as one of her hands slid inside of his swim trunks her fingernails scraping against the skin of his buttocks. No longer content to simply touch the skin already exposed by her brief bikini he slipped a finger underneath the flimsy material teasing her moist folds and hearing her sharp intake of breath as he found the spot guaranteed to induce raptures. Neither one of them were aware of the various other holiday makers also making use of the pool who were now keeping a wide berth of the amorous couple.

Unaware that is until their attention was brought back to it rather abruptly by one of the hotel workers shouting at them.

"Mr Scott, Mr Scott." Nathan groaned in frustration as he turned to look at the small man standing at the edge of the pool. "Mr Scott I'm afraid I have to ask you to return to your room, other guests are complaining." Nathan looked around him and saw the expressions of distaste shooting in their direction from the other guests.

"Oh God," Haley groaned burying her face in Nathan's shoulder in chagrin.

"Maybe we should go," Nathan suggested and Haley could have sworn she heard a trace of laughter in his voice.

"Uh yeah we probably should," she agreed.

Getting out of the pool she started to walk towards her towel but immediately felt Nathan's arms snake around her waist keeping her in front of him as he walked. The reason for this was immediately apparent as she felt his erection digging into her back.

Opening the door to the room they both collapsed onto the bed laughing. Haley raised herself up onto her elbow looking down at him a smug smile of her own covering her face. "So I guess I win," she said with a slight trace of arrogance.

"What are you talking about?" he asked appearing confused.

"Your little wager," she told him "So what's my prize?" she asked mischievously.

"You're looking at it," he told her smugly "why do you think I let you win."

Her laughter rang out throughout the room "yeah right Nathan you just keep telling yourself that you let me win."

End Flashback

Looking back on that time now she couldn't help but wonder if perhaps she would have been better off if she and Nathan had not gone to Barbados but the truth was that she would never trade their time together for anything. Although it was one of the hardest things she had done to walk away from him for the second time at least this time it felt as if they had achieved some degree of closure.

Starting up the engine again she pulled out onto the road that was almost void of traffic at the late hour of the day. As the car slowly ate up the miles separating her from her destination she deliberately kept her mind a blank. Flicking on the radio she made sure to avoid any news broadcasts not able to bare the mere possibility that she may once again have to hear Tim's name mentioned.

Finally seeing the bright lights of Chicago in the distance she heaved a sigh of relief. She was almost home. Once she was there she would be able to throw herself back into her life with Josh and forget everything that had occurred over the past few months in Tree Hill.

When she pulled up in front of the house she shared with Josh forty five minutes later she couldn't help the feeling of despondency that overwhelmed her. Determinedly telling herself that this was for the best she picked up her purse from the seat beside her and entered the house quietly. Seeing no-one around she made her way back to the bedroom pausing for a moment as she heard a groan emanating from within.

Gathering her courage she stepped up to the door pushing at it lightly unsure of what she would find inside. It sounded as if Josh had another woman in there with him but she was sure he would never do something like that. Josh loved her, he wanted to marry her. The door opened, the hinges creaking a little but Josh was too involved in what he was doing to take heed.

Her gaze fell upon the bed and she saw Josh naked his hands clutching the sheet beside him as he apparently was close to climax. She could see the shape of someone else beneath the sheet. He tipped his head back and groaned again this time in completion and she held her breath in anticipation as the sheet began to move, the other occupant revealing themselves to her disbelieving eyes. "Cameron?" her voice was barely above a whisper but both heads jerked around to face her.

"Haley, oh shit Haley." her brother said.

She backed away from the room as fast as she could almost tripping over the floor lamp in the hall. Turning around she tried to run but a strong hand grasped her wrist. "Haley stop you have to listen to me," Josh said.

"Get the fuck away from me now." She said venomously.

**Spoilers:- Haley confronts Josh and gets a surprise phone call.**

**A.N I know I said there would be no individual shout outs in this chapter but I have to give credit where credit is due. Pink Pony you guessed what was going to happen and I only have one thing to say to you. Get out of my head. LOL. How the hell did you know what I was planning.**


	28. Goodbye and Good Riddance

**hilaryhilary** Well I'm glad you enjoyed it. Now unfortunately as much as I would love to I can't tell you off for trying to tell me what to do with my story as I am a bit prone to doing that to you when I review your story. But anyway as far as the story line you predicted well I guess you'll just have to wait and see.

**cherrymfzb** Ok well apparently I still managed to surprise some people. I had a feeling you would enjoy that flashback scene and I guess I was right. Glad to see you didn't completely give up on me and this story when I took so long to update. I'll look forward to your email.

**famousindafuture** So the flashback has proved to be popular. Glad that you enjoyed it too. I was also happy to hear that I managed to surprise people with the ending of the chapter. Only one person actually picked it.

**pinkpony** Yes you did know it. How I have no idea but I think I might have to look around the house for bugs? Anyway Congrats once again on being the only one to guess where I was going with that chapter and thanx for the extremely complimentary review. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.

**kaeli** Hey glad you enjoyed the chapter and you will honestly never know how sorry I am for not being able to update again before that. Unfortunately I'm not sure I'm going to be able to fulfil your request anytime in the near future but keep reading. It is after all a Naley story so I can only keep them apart for so long.

**Jenna** Yep I'm definitely smiling again after that review. Thanx for all the compliments and even more importantly thanx for being so patient with me when I was unable to update and continuing to stick with the story after such a long hiatus.

**RoseRows **Well I guess it's better to discover it now than never. I'm glad you're enjoying it so much and I can promise you that there is plenty more to come with it and with any luck my updates will be back to being every couple of days again now that I have internet access pretty much sorted again. I will explain a bit more as the story goes on but if you have specific questions feel free to email me and I'll do my best to answer them. Thanx so much for your review and I hope you continue to enjoy the story as it unfolds.

**Nathan4Haley** Hey Nat's well there's probably not much more that I can say to you that we haven't covered in emails but anyway I still want to say a public thank you for your review and I'm so glad that you are still enjoying this story. You have been one of my most regular reviewers and it means a lot that I can count on you to review almost every chapter and give an honest opinion or at least I hope they're honest. Looking forward to hearing what you think of this one too.

**unfolddream** I feel so bad about how long it took me to post the lastchapter but finally it's up and I have yet another one up today so I guess things are back on track. Things have been so crazy lately but I think they are finally sorted so I should be updating a lot more regularly from now on. Glad you enjoyed the Naley banter in that scene. I was hoping to give you guys something to enjoy once more before we start having to deal with the angst that is to come. Hopefully you will continue to enjoy it when things are not quite so happy for them.

**Kennedy** Yes that was Haley's brother whose name is Cameron. Hope you enjoyed it.

**Britt** Well I guess thats one thing you can always count on from me that you should expect the unexpected. I don't shy away from putting in the big twists. Hope you enjoy what's still to come.

**HipHopper92 **Glad you liked it. I thought the flashback was necessary to give you all a bit more of Happy Naley before I start pulling out the angsty stuff.

**nathenlover** Glad you enjoyed it. But I am making no promises as to your requests. Unfortunately the story is all planned out so while you should feel free to make suggestions. It's good to know what you'd like to see happening in the story but whether or not you will actually see any of them appear in the story remains to be seen. Hope you enjoy what I've done anyway. BTW did you get my email?

**A.N You guys have no idea how worried I was when I posted the last chapter as to whether or not you would still be interested in the story. I know in comparison to some authors my hiatus was nothing extraordinary but it seemed like forever to me. Anyway just want to say a big thankyou to you all for sticking with it and with any luck I should be able to update fairly regularly again. Hope you enjoy the latest chapter. One last note the hugest thankyou to all of you for getting me to the 300 review mark. That absolutely made my day. So thankyou again. Esp you Hilary.**

**Chapter Twenty-seven**

"Take your hands off me now," she screamed at him. When his grip remained she reacted instinctively and delivered a stinging slap to his cheek. He immediately released her bringing a hand to his face as he regarded her with disbelief.

"I guess I deserved that." he said quietly "but if you'll just let me explain."

"You deserve so much more than that" she told him harshly her raised voice a complete contrast to his softly spoken plea. "I don't know what you possibly think you can say to me right now because there is no way in hell that you can find a way to justify what I just saw."

Cameron exited the bedroom once again fully clothed "Haley bub if you can just listen…"

She cut him off immediately "Listen," she shrieked her voice now conveying a touch of hysteria. "It's all I can do to be in the same room as you two right now and you actually expect me to listen to you making up some flimsy excuse for what I just saw. Or are you going to try and tell me that it wasn't what I thought it was."

"No Haley I wouldn't do that to you." Josh hastily reassured her.

Her voice betrayed more than a hint of sarcasm as she responded "well thank God for that at least you credit me with some small amount of intelligence although quite why I don't know. You managed to fool me pretty well didn't you Josh? Telling me you love me and want to marry me. What a joke."

"Haley please," Josh pleaded with her "you don't understand I do love you and I do want to marry you." A harsh guttural sound burst forth from Haley's lips and it took the two men a moment to realise that it was a laugh. "Don't you dare" she said all the fight draining from her body "don't you dare say that to me. You're just like he is you tell me you love me but its all just some ploy to get whatever the hell it is you want. At least though he didn't try to make me believe in something that was never there because no matter what else has happened I do know that at some time he did love me." Her voice cracked with emotion and Josh tried to pull her into a hug but she wouldn't allow it.

"Just tell me why Josh, why did you insist on telling me that you loved me and wanted to marry me? Why did you want me to go back to Tree Hill and resolve my past? Why?"

"Haley please just stop for a moment and let me speak, once I've said what it is that I need to say then you can make your decision from there. All I'm asking is that you hear me out."

She stared at him for a moment wordlessly, knowing that there was nothing he could possibly say to her that could make a difference at this stage, before nodding her head mutely. Seeing her signal to continue he inhaled deeply and grasped her hands in his.

"I didn't lie to you Haley when I said I wanted to marry you," seeing that she was about to interrupt he continued quickly. "Please Haley just let me say my piece without interruptions."

As she once again subsided into silence he sent a look over her shoulder in Cameron's direction silently beseeching him to leave the room and give them some privacy. Cameron shrugged slightly before acquiescing to his request.

"I can only imagine how this must have looked to you," Josh told her "but the truth of the matter is I do love you and I truly want to make you my wife but there are some things that you don't know about me."

"No kidding," she muttered. Raising her voice slightly she looked him square in the eye and spoke again. "Josh you're gay why on earth would you say that you love me and that you want to marry me?"

"I'm actually bisexual and I truly believe that you and I could make a wonderful life together."

"That's ridiculous," she told him "I'm not about to live my life with a man who would rather be in bed with my brother."

"Haley I never intended for that to happen, you have to believe me, Cameron turned up here tonight to visit you and well one thing led to another."

"Oh well why didn't you say so," she continued sarcastically "in that case sure lets just go ahead and get married."

"Haley I didn't mean it like that."

"No Josh the scary thing is that I think that's exactly what you meant. You honestly think that I should just forgive and forget and start planning my wedding to you simply because you didn't mean to sleep with my brother."

Despite her tirade and belief in what she had said she still found it difficult to comprehend as Josh actually seemed to nod in agreement with her words.

"Are you completely insane?" she asked him her voice once again rising to a shriek. Wrenching her hands out of his grasp she shakily turned back to the kitchen table where she had left her purse. "I'm leaving now and I have to say I really hope I never see you again. Have a nice life Josh." Seeing her brother enter the room once again she looked him square in the eye "don't ever bother trying to call me. I never want to hear from you again. I'll leave it to you to explain to Mom and Dad why you won't be at Thanksgiving this year."

She walked out of the house she had lived in sharing a life with Josh for more than a year and didn't bother to look back. Driving away from the house she was amazed at the way she felt. If someone had told her six months ago that this would happen and she would leave the house with nothing more than a profound sense of relief she would have laughed in their face and yet here she was.

That didn't mean that she didn't hold any ill feelings towards Josh for what he had done but her overwhelming emotion was similar to that which someone might experience having just broken free from a life sentence in prison at least this was how she imagined they must feel.

This was her opportunity to start afresh. Nathan had made it more than clear that he never wanted to see her again and Josh was no longer a part of her future. It was time she stopped living her life like a ping pong ball simply bouncing from one situation to another with no control over where she was going. She was sick of her whole life being based on what other people wanted her to do and making decisions in reaction to other peoples actions. It was time for her to take control and start living her life the way she wanted. Coming to a T intersection she looked left then right before flicking her indicator to show she was turning right and headed to where she hoped she would be able to build a new life for herself. A life that did not include Nathan, Josh or Tim.

She drove for several hours but was eventually forced to stop, her lack of sleep and her emotional exhaustion making it impossible to continue. Seeing a motel by the side of the road she pulled into the lot and went inside to make arrangements for a room for what was left of the night. The room was basic consisting of nothing more than a bed and a chair with a tiny adjoining bathroom but she was so tired right now that she didn't care.

Pushing the door closed she hoisted her suitcase onto the bed and pulled out her pajamas before replacing them once more. It was so hot and stuffy in the room and she doubted that the ancient air conditioning unit would work. Pulling out the camisole and French knickers she had worn sleeping with Nathan she ignored the pain in her chest she felt as the memories clawed their way to the surface. With a sigh she forced them back down and let herself into the tiny bathroom. She showered quickly and dressed before falling into bed. Almost immediately she fell into a deep sleep only to be roused ten minutes later by the sound of her cell phone. Picking it up she looked at the caller id and had to fight her anxiety as she saw the Tree Hill area code. Picking it up she placed the phone to her ear hitting the button to answer it as she did.

"Nathan? Nathan is that you?" she asked tentatively. Her voice caught on the last word. There was a pause at the other end of the line and Haley felt her hopes rise. If he's calling her that must mean something good. Maybe now that he had had a chance to cool off he was ready to forgive her. She held her breath in anticipation, she had always been able to read Nathan so well, she would know with the first word he spoke if he had indeed forgiven her.

"Sorry Tutor Girl, it's just me Brooke. I just wanted to check and see if you're ok? What happened? Lucas spoke to Nathan and he told us that you had gone back to Chicago. Why would you do that? Are you in Chicago now? Please Haley just tell me what's going on."

The tears that Haley had been trying so hard to contain began to flow freely down her face and she had to choke back a sob.

"Haley," Brooke's voice gentled. "Haley what happened?"

"It's over Brooke, any chance Nathan and I had for a future together is completely gone and it's all my fault."

Words failed her at this point and instead she simply cried. Through her tears she managed to choke out a few more words.

"What the hell was I thinking Brooke telling him everything that happened all those years ago? It was never going to help matters in fact all it has done is destroy him the same way it destroyed me."

"Tutor Girl are you going to be ok? You're scaring me. Where are you I'll come and get you and bring you back home?"

Taking a deep breath she fought to bring her emotions under control and made a conscious effort to rid her voice of its quaver.

"Brooke I'll be fine. At this stage I don't know how but somehow I will be ok. I've made a lot of mistakes in the last few months. Hell," she said laughing harshly "I've made a lot of mistakes period. Now I just need to move on and start over."

"Haley please just tell me where you are and I'll come get you right now."

"No Brooke its time for a new start and I can't have that back in Tree Hill. I'll let you know where I end up when I'm settled. Look Brooke I have to go but can I ask you to do me one favour? Keep an eye on Nathan for me."

"Of course Tutor Girl but just remember I'm here if you need to talk. Please call me if you need anything at all. I'll give you a call in a couple of days and check up on you."

"Thanks Brooke I really appreciate it."

After saying their goodbyes both women hung up their phones each staring off into space as they contemplated the words they had exchanged. Lucas came up behind Brooke wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Was that Haley?"

"Yeah Broody it was. Nathan was right she's left Tree Hill."

"Is she ok? Where did she go?"

"I don't know Broody I really don't know."

Sighing she leaned back into her husbands arms her thoughts a confusing muddle. It was as if she had been confronted with a gigantic jig saw puzzle and each time she thought the pieces were beginning to fit together she would find herself without a vital piece. She still didn't know what had happened to make Haley leave all those years ago but she was fairly certain that whatever had happened was in some way responsible for the fact that Haley was once again gone from Tree Hill and if there was one thing guaranteed to drive Brooke crazy it was the feeling that something was going on that she didn't know about. Pulling out of his arms she whirled around to face him her frustration becoming evident. Seeing the look in her eyes Lucas backed away from her slightly.

"This is ridiculous Broody, if they want to have their secrets that's understandable but when two people that we love are hurting like this then we have to do something. We need to get to the bottom of whatever it is that's going on between the two of them. This has gone on far too long."

As she spoke she advanced towards him and Lucas reached out to grip her shoulders. She shook his hands off and continued her pacing.

"Brooke don't you think maybe we should let them deal with this themselves? They're both adults, maybe we shouldn't interfere."

Her chin jutted out defiantly at his words. Brooke was not a person who found it easy to simply sit back and allow things to just happen of their own accord.

"That's bullshit Lucas if they were adults capable of resolving their own issues then they would both be here talking to each other and resolving things, instead Haley's run away again and who knows where Nathan is. No," she said determinedly "its time for us to get involved. You deal with that idiot brother of yours and I'm going to get Haley back here."

"Honey you really shouldn't be stressing yourself out like this it can't be good for the baby."

"What's not good for junior here is having his soon to be godparents not even able to be in the same town together."

"About that Brooke maybe we should reconsider…"

Brooke cut him off with a death glare before he could finish his thought.

"Oh no don't you even think about saying what I think you're going to say. Those two are going to be godparents if they like it or not and they _are_ going to get along."

Lucas held up his hands in front of himself in a defensive gesture.

"Ok, ok it was just a suggestion."

Brooke sighed and walked to him placing her arms loosely around his waist and tucking her head in under his chin.

"I'm sorry Broody; it just kills me to see two people so obviously meant for each other unable to get their shit together. I mean if the two of them can't make it work what hope is there for the rest of us."

Lucas' arms tightened slightly around his wife reveling in the feel of her small baby bump pressing against him.

"Brooke you know that nothing could ever come between us don't you. You know that no matter what you and I are going to be together forever. We're going to raise our kids and grow old and watch our grandchildren grow up. I love you Brooke and nothing is ever going to change that."

Brooke smiled a little through her tears and allowed Lucas hand to tilt her face up towards him.

"I love you too Broody."

Pulling away she walked towards the bedroom and at the last moment turned back to look over her shoulder at him.

"But you are going to go and see Nathan tomorrow and find out what the hell is going on with them."

Lucas smiled slightly and shook his head this was one of the reasons he loved Brooke so much when she set her mind to something there was nothing that could get in her way and pity the poor person who tried.

Back at the motel Haley's sleeping form twisted and turned in her bed.

"Nathan," she whimpered "Oh Nathan I'm so sorry."

**Spoilers:- What is going on with Nathan? Lucas tries to intervene. Deb is in for a shock.**


	29. The World Of Nathan Scott

**Nathan4Haley **Yes well I had a bit to make up for after making you guys wait so long for me to update so I will be doing my damnedest to make sure I can update at least another few chapters this week. I'm so glad that you enjoyed it. Your reviews are always so appreciated by me. Yes Josh is a freak but it was actually a lot of fun to write. Haley definitely needed to get out of there and well what can I say if there is one person you can count on to tell Haley how it is than it would have to be Brooke. Glad you enjoyed the chapter and I'll look forward to hearing what you think of this one too.

**hilaryhilary **Well I'll sleep better tonight knowing that I'm back on your good side.

**hesfadedme** I'm blushing. Glad you're still enjoying it. You really know how to boost a girl's ego.

**famousindafuture** Thanx for the Fourth Of July wishes although to be perfectly honest having grown up in Australia and lived the last couple of my adult years in England I wouldn't have even known that it was a special day. Anyway I'm glad you're still enjoying the story. Poor Josh well I guess he had to have a flaw didn't he. But I guess it does release Haley from any sense of guilt she may have otherwisefelt. Not sure I can fulfil your Brooke request just yet but I can assure you that there are some shocks in store where she is concerned. By the way I want an update on your story.

**RoseRows** Your wait is over to find out what is happening with Nathan. Hopefully this chapter will explain exactly that. Yes we could all do with a friend like Brooke. Lucky for you that you have someone who fits the bill. Well I'll keep the updates coming as frequently as possible if you keep reviewing. How's that for a deal?

**Britt** Your wait is over. Hope that wasn't too long for you. Anyway this chapter should fill in the blanks on what has been going on with Nathan.

**Jenna**Thanx for the congrats and I can only hope that you are right about the 400. That would be something pretty special for me. Haley really hasn't been having any luck lately. Poor darling if only she knew what I still had planned for her. This chapter should answer some of your questions regarding Nate and Lucas.Hope you enjoy it.

**TinyDancer7** Hey Amanda glad you're back. I was worried with the long hiatus that I might lose some of you and you know I'd miss your super long reviews. Nate and Haley have a lot of issues to work through although just how they manage to do that and when remains to be seen. I love how in your reviews you always try to see behind what I am writing and find the underlying messages about how they are feeling. There is a lot more of this story to come so don't expect any easy fixes for the two of them but I do promise not to let Haley stay away for too long.

**nathenlover** Glad that you are still enjoying it. I'm not making any promises but I think you will find it worth sticking with this one to the end for the kind of ending you are looking for. Hope you enjoy this chapter too.

**A.N You guys rock. Those reviews were awesome. This chapter is dedicated to Jess who is writing the most brilliant Brucas story ever. It's called A Woman's Worth and is totally fabulous. Plus she has still been letting me know her thoughts on my chapters even when she doesn't get a chance to review. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter. It should give you a bit more of an insight into our favourite Split Personality Nathan. Well judging by some of the reviews I've been getting it would seem some of you do believe that he's completely whacked at the moment. Let's hope redemption is afoot somewhere in this story. Although after this chapter you may not be so sure. Don't forget to review and tell me what you think.**

**Chapter Twenty-eight**

When Nathan pulled into his drive the next morning he found Lucas waiting for him. Groaning he stepped out of the car walking quickly up the path and attempting to brush past his brother not wanting to have the conversation that he knew was brewing.

"Nathan man you have to talk to me about this."

"No Luke you know what. I really don't. It's none of your damn business anyway."

"Yeah try telling that to Brooke," Lucas muttered to himself.

Nathan however had heard his words and turned back to him anger distorting his normally handsome features.

"Well you can tell Brooke to mind her own damn business this has nothing to do with her or with you for that matter so why don't you both just butt out."

Lucas opened his mouth to speak but Nathan's vitriol continued.

"Just who the hell do you two think you are acting like you're our fucking saviors or something? Riding in to save the fucking day. Well you know what Luke I don't need you saving me ok. Everything is exactly how it should be as far as I'm concerned and personally I wouldn't give a fuck if I never lay eyes on her again. Speaking of which why don't you get the hell out of here too. Run home to your perfect little life with your perfect wife. You really shouldn't be here. Just go home and be with your pregnant wife."

Lucas remained where he was waiting for the torrent of words to cease before quietly continuing.

"First off don't ever let me hear you speak about my wife like that again and secondly if everything is so fine then why the hell can't you look at me while you say it not to mention the fact that you won't even say Haley's name." Although he spoke quietly Nathan could hear the meaning behind his words and knew he had made a mistake speaking about Brooke that way to him.

Lucas saw the flash of pain shoot through Nathan's eyes at the mention of her name but he quickly masked it.At that momentNathan wished he could be anywhere but there right now. What he wouldn't give to be miles away just chilling out with a beer and a few of his buddies. Yeah they would go down the coast and go swimming, check out all the hot girls swanning around in their bikinis but the mere thought of the beach instantly conjured memories of Barbados and Haley wearing _that_ bikini. Shaking his head to clear his mind of those images he once again focused his attention back onto Lucas.

"Look man I didn't mean that the way it sounded you know I adore Brooke and I'm really happy for you that you've been able to get such a great life going for yourself but you just have to understand that it's just not in the cards for me at the moment. Maybe it will be one day in the future but I can tell you right now that it just ain't going to happen for me and Haley." He visibly blanched again as her name spilled forth from his lips. "I really don't want to talk about it anymore man. All I want right now is to go inside and get some sleep."

He started to move past Lucas once more but was halted by his older brother's hand clamping down on his shoulder.

"Not so fast," Lucas said. "I totally understand what you're saying but I'm afraid that that just isn't good enough. Whether you want to or not you are going to tell me what the hell happened."

Nathan opened his mouth to interrupt but Lucas ignored him and continued. "You leave town, Tim gets attacked in LA whichif the media are to be believed was by someone that he knewand then Haley decides to take off. Are you honestly going to try and tell me that this is all just some sort of coincidence?"

Lucas had been watching Nathan the entire time he had been speaking and had seen the way his mouth tightened into a grim line at the mention of Tim's name.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Nathan said abruptly looking everywhere but at his brother.

"The hell you don't," Lucas exploded. "What do you think I'm blind or maybe you just doubt my intelligence because I can tell you right now that anyone with an IQ above 30 would be able to see right through you at this moment? So why don't you just quit with the act now because you aren't fooling anyone least of all me. So are you going to tell me or should I have Brooke phone Haley again or perhaps I should give Tim a call and see what the hell he has to say about this whole situation."

"Tim will keep his mouth shut if he knows what's good for him," Nathan said menacingly. Despite his apparent interest in Lucas' comment about Tim his mind had immediately latched onto the information that Brooke had spoken to Haley. He would have liked nothing better than to find out exactly what had been said between the two women but could not find the necessary courage to ask. To be honest he was scared of what Lucas might say. He knew that he had been unnecessarily harsh with Haley the day before but he just couldn't bear to even hear her voice knowing what had occurred all those years ago. Logically he knew that Haley was not to blame for what Tim's actions had beenbut the simple fact was that with everything that had happened she had never once tried to talk to him about it and because of that he had never had the chance to see or hold his daughter and now it was too late. His heart clenched as he thought of the baby daughter that he had never known. She had obviously lacked the confidence in him to tell him what had happened and allow him to help her through it.

That was what hurt him most of all the fact that the woman who had agreed to be his wife, the woman he had envisaged himself spending the rest of his life with had not had enough faith in him to come to him when she was in trouble. What did that say about him when his own fiancée didn't believe in him enough to think that he would be able to come through for her in a time of crisis? He had failed Haley and his daughter when they needed him the most and for that he could never forgive himself. Nathan hung his head staring at his feet as Lucas once again began to speak.

"Nathan just talk to me man. Tell me what the hell happened between you and Haley and what it has to do with Tim and don't bother denying that Tim is involved because I've seen the look in your eyes every time his name is mentioned. So what happened? Did Haley cheat on you with Tim?"

Nathan's head jerked up at his words and without warning he lunged towards Lucas pinning him against the wall his forearm pressed against his brother's throat "Don't say that." he said his voice coming out as nothing more than a choked whisper. "Don't ever say that again."

"Whoa man calm down I didn't mean anything by it."

Nathan backed away from Lucas shaking his head "I'm sorry man I don't know why I did that."

"I'd say it's pretty obvious that I struck a nerve," Lucas said eying him warily as he gingerly rubbed at his throat.

"You really want to know what happened man I'll tell you but trust me this ain't no fairytale. So if you're looking for a nice bedtime story I suggest you look elsewhere."

"I'm not after a fucking fairytale Nate all I want is the truth whatever that may be."

Nathan walked to the steps at the front of the house sitting down; Lucas followed sitting a few steps above him.

"You remember that night that you and Brooke were fighting and she had that party at her place just before graduation?"

"Yeah," Lucas said cautiously clearly unsure of where Nathan was heading with this conversation.

Nathan stood from his sitting position and began pacing back and forth in front of Lucas.

"Well after you and Brooke went out that night Tim was still there and Haley was left alone in the house with him. He convinced Haley to have a drink with him and he put something in her drink."

"Wait what are you talking about? Are you saying Tim raped Haley?"

"Yeah well to cut a long story short that's exactly what I'm saying."

"Why didn't Haley say something when we got back? I would have beaten his ass, she must have known that."

"I don't think she wanted anyone to know man. I guess she was scared that I might blame her or something."

Lucas was staring at Nathan incredulously almost as if he could not believe his own ears. He opened his mouth to speak but then closed it again as there were simply no words for that moment. Nathan paused in his pacing coming to a stop in front of his brother. He looked Lucas square in the eye.

"There's more Lucas."

Lucas looked up at him and a sliver of dread entered his eyes as the possibilities of what may have happened flashed one after another through his mind.

"What do you mean more, what else could possibly have happened?" Lucas' voice had a tremulous note as if even though he was asking the question he was not totally certain that it was one that he wanted the answer to.

Nathan's voice lowered an octave and Lucas had to strain to catch his words.

"She was pregnant man. She left because she was pregnant and she didn't know who the father was and apparently I was such a failure as a fiancé that she couldn't even come to me and talk to me about it. Instead she ran away and did it all alone."

Lucas' gasp was audible as the first words left Nathan's mouth. He madly searched his mind for any words that could possibly be used in this situation. But none would come. This was hardly an everyday occurrence, having your brother explain that his ex had been raped and had left town as a result of pregnancy.

As he absorbed everything his younger brother had just told him it occurred to him that he was still missing a vital piece of information.

"Nate man what happened to the baby?"

Nathan emitted a sound that seemed much like a sob before once again bringing himself under control.

"She died Luke, my baby girl died and I never even knew she existed."

"You mean she was…"

"Yeah Luke the baby was mine but because of Haley's selfishness and my own failings as a boyfriend and fiancé I never even knew she existed. What sort of a chump does that make me huh?"

"Nate you are not seriously going to blame yourself for this are you? You had no way of knowing."

"You're damn right I didn't know but the simple fact is that I should have tried harder to find her when she disappeared man but instead I sat around wallowing in my own misery but I sure as hell know that it isn't all my fault either. She chose the selfish way and for that I will never forgive her."

"Nate," Luke tried to intervene.

"Don't you even think about trying to defend her man. Yeah I know she was probably terrified but she knew how much I loved her and not once did she try to come to me and tell me what was going on. Instead she took the cowards way out and took off without a word, not even a measly note and during all those years she never once called to let me know that she was ok or even to see how I was and you want to know why because she didn't give a fuck not about me and sure as hell not about us and the life we had planned. All she ever cared about was herself."

Another voice interjected from behind and Nathan looked up to see his mother standing in the doorway.

"That's not strictly the truth Nathan, Haley has been calling me several times a year ever since she left wanting to know if you were ok."

Nathan's face creased in confusion.

"You mean you knew about all this and you never told me."

"No Nathan, what you just told Lucas came as much of a surprise to me as it did to Lucas. Like I said Haley has called over the years and asked about you but she would never tell me anything about what was happening in her life or where she was."

"What and you didn't think that that was information that I might have wanted to know. I mean my fiancée disappears without a trace, you see me almost going insane looking for her and then one day you get a phone call from her and you don't even think to tell me. Well thanks for nothing Mom."

Deb shifted uncomfortably under her only son's murderous gaze.

"Nathan, I wanted to tell you sweetheart you have no idea how much I wanted to tell you but your father thought it was best for you to just move on with your life and forget about her."

Lucas snorted derisively "Of course, why doesn't that surprise me, sounds like just what we could expect from dear old Dad."

Nathan stood back from them and started clapping his hands loudly.

"Well Bravo it seems that just about everyone has been keeping secrets from me. Are you sure there isn't anything that you want to add Lucas, you know some deep dark secret that you decided I was better off not knowing because apparently everyone knows what's best for me, it's just that no-one actually feels the need to discuss it with me first. So Lucas what have you got for me? Let me guess you're not actually my brother. This whole thing has just been one big farce."

Lucas tried to place a consoling hand onto Nathan's shoulder but Nathan wasn't having any of it. Shrugging him off he stalked away.

"Just leave me alone man,"

"Nathan please," Deb called after him "We only did what we thought was best for you."

"Great Mom, that makes me feel so much better," he threw back sarcastically over his shoulder as he walked to the door, opening it up he stepped inside and slammed it behind him, before opening it again almost immediately "By the way mom I think its about time you went home. So you might want to get your stuff together."

Deb looked at him dumbfounded not quite believing her ears. _Was her son actually kicking her out of his house?_

"But Nate the house is still being renovated." she protested softly.

"That would be your problem mom, not mine." and with that said he once again slammed the door leaving his shell shocked mother and brother still standing on the front stoop.

**Spoilers:- Brooke has asurprise visitor. Nathan gets a wake up call from an unexpected source. Brooke continues to pressure Haley.**

**A.N One last note if there are any of you out there who are not reading When It Comes can I just say shame on you. LOL. Trust me you are missing out big time. Its by far the best story I've ever read that is not actually published as a novel. Do not be put off by the number of chapters. Read one and I will almost guarantee that you will be as hooked as the rest of us.**


	30. A Familiar Face

**hesfadedme** Glad you agree. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

**catc20 aka Cathy** Yes Nathan has definitely been going through a rough time lately. Everytime he thinks there's nothing more that could possibly have happened he seems to get hit with another shock. Hope this chapter lives up to expectations.

**hilaryhilary **Thought it was time to show a bit of how Nathan is feeling about things. I'm glad you think I wrote it ok.

**pinkpony** So taking it you enjoy a bit of anger in young Nathan. Well I can't say I don't enjoy writing him that way because I do. Yes Deb doesn't exactly know how to take no for an answer does she? LOL. I'm glad you think the story is still improving.

**kaos2405 **My favourite reviewer has returned. Thanx for the comments on this chapter. It meant a lot to hear that you thought I was actually giving a bit more depth and complexity to the story.

**famousindafuture** Apparently I've succeeded in my attempts to show a bit more about how the characters are feeling and give them a bit more depth. Sometimes think my characters are a bit too cardboard in the way I write them.

**RoseRows **Glad you felt that I was able to show the characters emotions. I often think that is one of the main things I struggle with in my writing so any positive comments on that aspect of my writing are always welcome. Email me some time and tell me your theory on Deb and Haley. Thanx for the review. I've fulfilled my part of the deal so now its your turn.

**Britt** Glad you enjoyed it. Poor Naley I have so much in store for them. If only they knew.

**cherrymfzb **Sounds like I'd better write something about Poor Haley soon. Everyone seems to be only concerned about Nathan at this stage. LOL. Good to hear I can still surprise you. Hope you have fun at your sisters. Looking forward to your new chapter.

**nathenlover **Glad that you enjoyed that chapter. One small warning though. There are going to be no quick fixes in this story. It's going to be a long story and I have a lot planned for it. But I can promise that Haley will not stay away for too long.

**Nathan4Haley** Hey Nats well I must have done something right in that last chapter because everyone seeems to be commenting on Poor Nathan. Guess I did a good job of making his case for him hey. Hope you enjoy this chapter too.

**A.N Well guys things are a bit stressful here at the moment with the terrorist bombings. (I live in London) Has hit a bit too close to home so am giving you a new chapter while I seem to be cut off by phone from everyone at the moment. Hope you enjoy it. My thoughts are with anyone affected by this mornings explosions.**

**Chapter Twenty-nine**

Hearing a knock at the door Brooke got up from the couch where she had been sitting contemplating everything Lucas had told her and headed to the door. Opening it up she started in surprise to see the tall, blonde woman standing on the step balancing a baby on her hip.

"Peyton what the hell? I mean what are you doing here I haven't heard from you in months."

"Not quite the greeting I was hoping for," Peyton said with a smile "but it's good to see you too."

"I'm sorry I just really didn't expect to see you here. So what brings you to Tree Hill?"

"Jake had some time off work so we thought we should come and visit his parents, we arrived last night."

Brooke stood there staring at her for a moment still unable to believe that the girl who had been her best friend for so many years was standing at her door. Peyton shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny.

"Uh Brooke are we going to stand at the door all day or can I come in."

"What? Oh of course. Come in."

Brooke stood back allowing Peyton to walk past her into the house. She looked around her in admiration, taking in the spacious lounge area and catching a glimpse of the extremely modern kitchen through a doorway to her left.

"Wow Brooke this is some house."

Turning back to her she looked at her friend more closely looking to see what changes had occurred in the two years since she had last seen her. Brooke's long brown hair still fell past her shoulders and her face was as always perfectly made up. Her clothes reflected her innate sense of style and as usual were the height of the current fashion trends. Her gaze paused as it came to rest on the slightly rounded bump of her stomach.

"Oh my God are you?…"

Brooke smiled unable to hide her joy at the impending birth of her child.

"Um yeah Lucas and I are having a baby in a few months time." She said her pride obvious for all to see. "But you still haven't introduced me to this gorgeous little girl?" she asked focusing her attention onto the baby in Peyton's arms.

"This is Madison," Peyton said proudly.

"Oh Peyton she's gorgeous. How old is she?"

"She's just turned 5 months." Focusing her attention on the blonde, blue eyed babe in her arms she continued speaking. "Isn't that right sweetie?"

"Peyton you're so lucky, you have Jake and a gorgeous little baby."

"Yeah not to mention Jenny who is like another little mother to Maddy. I swear sometimes she thinks she is her mother. More often than not Jen has run off to get Maddy's bottle before I've even heard her cry. I'm sure she spends most of her time just listening for the slightest little whimper. You would not believe the effort it took just to convince Jen to go and play with her cousins today and leave Maddy with me. I don't think she trusts me with my own child." she finished with a laugh.

Walking through to the living room Peyton settled herself into a chair with Madison in her lap and Brooke perched on a chair opposite Peyton and the baby. Both women were quiet for a moment as they searched for something to fill the awkward silence that had fallen between them. Suddenly the silence was broken by Peyton's laughter as a thought occurred to her and Brooke looked up at her curiously.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Nothing really," Peyton replied "It's just eight years ago who would have predicted this. Here I am step mom to Jenny and with a baby of my own and you and Lucas are married with a baby on the way and Haley the only one of us who showed any inclination towards settling down hasn't even come close."

Brooke had been laughing along with Peyton until the conversation turned to Haley and at the first mention of her name the laugh died in her throat and the smile instantly faded from her lips. Peyton looked up in surprise at her sudden silence and studied her curiously.

"Brooke is something wrong? You went so quiet all of a sudden."

"Peyton I've got something I really need to talk to you about but you have got to keep it strictly between us."

"Um sure ok." Peyton responded regarding her strangely.

"I'm serious Peyt you can't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you, not even Jake."

"Brooke its fine you can trust me. Gee what's the big deal anyway?"

Brooke stood up and began pacing nervously around unsure how to begin the story.

"Well you remember when Haley left Tree Hill right?"

"Yeah of course," Peyton responded "who could forget. Ooh are you saying the big mystery has finally come out." She sat forward in her seat slightly all of her attention now focused on Brooke waiting for her to begin the story. It was only when the baby in her lap emitted a squawk of protest that she sat back and loosened her hold on the infant. "So tell me. What was the big scandal?"

As Brooke launched into her story Peyton sat there in stunned silence until Brooke came to the end of her tale. Peyton remained silent for several moments after Brooke had finished speaking trying to digest everything that she had been told.

"Wow," she said finally, "wow that was so not what I expected. So this happened a week ago. Have you spoken to Haley since?"

"Only once briefly. I have no idea where she is or what she is going to do but she has gone and Nathan is refusing to talk to anyone. He's kicked Deb out and from what Lucas has said he isn't going to work and he won't even answer his phone. Lucas is really worried about him but we don't know what we should do. He's just closed himself off from all of us."

Both women sank into silence as they contemplated everything that had happened. It was a completely messed up situation and neither of them was sure what they should do.

"They were just so perfect for each other," Peyton said with an almost wistful tone.

"I know," Brooke said sadly "that's probably what bothers me the most about this whole situation. If Nathan and Haley can't make a life together then who the hell can?"

"So what do you think we should do?" Peyton asked. "Do you think we should try and get involved and see if we can bring the two of them back together or should we sit back and do nothing and just hope that they can sort it out for themselves this time?"

"I really don't know Pey, I've been tossing up whether I should go and visit Nathan and try to talk to him but at this stage I really don't know whether it would do any good."

Peyton considered the suggestion for a moment and then turned back to Brooke. "Well it couldn't make things any worse. Come on I'll go with you."

"What now?" Brooke asked clearly having intended to spend some more time planning her method of attack.

"Yep," Peyton replied "There's no time like the present. Come on grab your bag. I'll drive."

Brooke sat looking uncertainly at Peyton for a moment and then that familiar Brooke Davis-Scott resolve came in to play and she stood up. "You're right Peyton let's go."

Ten minutes later they pulled up in front of the beach house and sat there looking at it their confidence slightly evaporating at the sight of the house. Nathan's car was parked haphazardly in the drive giving the impression that he had not been entirely sober when he had parked it and the house itself looked almost deserted. The windows had all the blinds pulled down and the whole house appeared to be locked up.

Peyton glanced at Brooke and noticed that she too was regarding the house with a certain sense of foreboding. "Maybe this wasn't such a great idea," Peyton said.

Brooke looked as if she was about to agree and then her hand drifted down to her stomach and her resolve strengthened once again. "No damn it we are going to talk to him. He is going to be godfather to my baby and there is no way in hell my baby is going to be subjected to a drunken hermit as its godfather. Plus we have to get Haley back here somehow and the only way I can see that happening is to sort out my jackass of a brother-in-law."

"Ok," Peyton said agreeably "you're the boss."

"You're damn right I am," Brooke said "now grab that baby and let's go confront the beast."

Peyton walked around to the back of the car undoing the straps on Maddy's car seat and removing the child from the car before following Brooke up the path. Brooke strode purposefully to the door and immediately knocked firmly. Waiting barely a minute for a response she started pounding more forcefully on the door. When there was once again no response she began beating both of her fists against the door hollering to Nathan inside.

"Nathan Scott you had better open up this door right now. You and I have got to talk."

Brooke heard scuffling behind the door and knew that Nathan was standing on the other side of the door. She continued beating her fists against the door.

"I know you're in there Scott now open up this door right now."

She paused for a moment as she heard Nathan's voice shouting a response.

"Why don't you just fuck off Brooke I have nothing I want to say to you."

The look of pure unadulterated rage on Brooke's face as she heard this comment was almost enough to have Peyton in fits of laughter but seeing the menacing glare being turned in her direction she somehow managed to hold it in.

"No way Scott I'm not going anywhere until you open this damn door. I don't care how long I have to stand out here you are going to open this door."

"Brooke just go," Nathan said wearily. "I really don't want to talk about it."

"Well that would be fine Nathan if I was giving you that option but I'm not so just open the damn door and let's get it over with."

Brooke and Peyton heard a sigh of resignation before the sound of the deadbolt being pulled back and the door slowly moving inwards.

Nathan stood there looking at the two women his face barely registering surprise at seeing Peyton on his front doorstep. He looked a mess, his clothes obviously hadn't been changed for days and it was also more than obvious that he hadn't bothered to shave in the last week or so. In his hand he held a bottle of beer and he used his other hand to hold himself up with the doorframe.

"What do you want Brooke?" he asked his words slightly slurred together.

"Godparents for my baby who can stand to be in the same room as each other," she said without preamble, Brooke had never exactly been known for beating around the bush. When she had something to say she just came right out and said it and worried about the consequences later.

Nathan sighed "well in that case Brooke I think you had better look into getting someone else to fill the roles. Peyton's here now why don't you just get her and Jake to do the honours. I'm sure they'd be much more suited to it than Haley and I anyway. Lets face it the kid might actually stand a chance with those two."

"I'm sure you're right Peyton and Jake would make wonderful godparents but that's not the point Lucas and I asked you and Haley because that's who we want and that's the way it's going to stay. You both agreed so there is no way in hell I'm going to let either one of you back out now. It's Boy Toy and Tutor Girl or it's no-one and you wouldn't really want Junior here to grow up with no other adult influence bar me and Broody now would you?"

"Brooke do not try and guilt me into this." Nathan said hardly.

"Who me?" Brooke answered innocently "I'm just telling the truth if you're feeling guilty then that must be all down to you. It must be your conscience sending you messages about what a shit you're being to your poor little niece or nephew here. Remember Nate this is your niece or nephew that we're talking about here not just some street urchin although who knows if something were to happen to me or Lucas without Godparents that could be exactly what this poor little baby could become."

"Oh brother," Nathan muttered under his breath. "You're not going to let up about this until I agree are you?" he asked even though he already knew the answer.

"I can't Nathan; this is my baby's very life we're talking about here."

"Brooke why did you go into fashion business it's obvious you would have made a great actress." Nathan said sarcastically.

"Do you really think so?" Brooke asked brightening instantly at the idea, her child's plight forgotten for the moment as delusions of grandeur flashed through her mind. Realising that Nathan had effectively distracted her from her rant she glared at him for a moment before once again continuing. "Nathan I just want to know that Lucas and I can count on you if anything ever happens to either of us. I understand that things between you and Haley are difficult right now but this really isn't about the two of you. This is about your niece or nephew and knowing that they can rely on their uncle Nate."

Nathan sighed he knew there was no way he could really refuse such a request from his brother and sister-in-law. Throwing up his hands he conceded defeat. "Alright, alright I'll do it but just don't expect things to be ok between me and Haley. There's nothing I can do about that even for my future god child."

"Well," Brooke said sounding momentarily deflated "if you really don't think there's anything you can do about that then I guess I'll just have to accept that."

Nathan regarded her warily "Brooke you better not be planning anything."

"What are you talking about Nathan I'm not planning anything," she said doing her best to appear as if butter would not melt in her mouth.

Nathan's deep blue eyes pierced through her for a moment as he looked for a flicker of any devious intent. As he continued to stare at her she squirmed uncomfortably feeling as if those blue eyes could see all the way through her to very soul. Eventually he turned his gaze away and she sighed in relief.

"Although now that you mention it," Nathan looked at her askance as she immediately launched back into her offensive. "Peyton and I have been talking," Nathan glanced at Peyton who had been virtually silent since they had arrived, she shrugged as she met his gaze, "and we both agree that the last I need is some drunken unemployed bum as godfather of my child so you need to get your ass back to work. Tomorrow preferably, while you still have a job to go to." She finished with a flourish. "Now Peyton and I really need to get going but we'll talk soon."

Standing up she walked to the door turning back and tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for Peyton and Madison to join her.

"It was good seeing you again Nate," Peyton told him. "Jake and I will try to come and see you again before we leave."

"Yeah that would be great. I'll see you guys soon." Nathan responded.

"Why don't you come around for dinner after work tomorrow night," Brooke offered, turning to Peyton she extended the invitation further. "You and Jake should come with the girls too I'm sure Broody would love to see you guys."

"I'll expect all you guys at my place at six. Now I'm going to go down the beach for a while so I'll call Broody when I'm ready to go home. See you both tomorrow night. Bye sweetie," she said ducking her head to give Maddy a quick kiss on the cheek.

As soon as she knew she was alone she pulled her cell phone from her bag and quickly punched a number on the speed dial. Listening to it ring she muttered to herself "come on answer damn it,"

Finally hearing a response at the other end she launched into speech once more. "Tutor Girl where the hell are you?"

"Brooke please I just need some space for a while."

"Sorry Tutor Girl that just isn't good enough you're going to be my baby's godmother and that means you need to be here. So I'm giving you five days to get your ass back to town. I'll see you then." She said then hung up before Haley could form a comeback. She opened the phone again and quickly typed in Lucas' number. "Hey Broody, I'm at Nathan's can you come get me?"

"Why are you at Nate's?" Lucas asked warily.

"He and I just needed to have a little chat and get a few things straight. Now can you come and get me or what?"

"Yeah honey of course I can. I'll be there soon."

Brooke hung up and turned to walk back to where Lucas would collect her from. She didn't know how she was going to do it but somehow she was going to bring Nathan and Haley back together if it killed her. She looked back up at the house for a moment. There was no movement at any of the windows and no sign that Nathan intended to open the closed blinds, she could only hope that her chat with Nathan had had the desired effect. There was no way she was going to bring Haley back to be subjected to him in this mood. She would bide her time and wait until he had managed to get his shit together and then whether she liked it or not Haley would be returning to Tree Hill.

**Spoilers:-** **Time to find out what is happening with Haley.**


	31. Tree Hill No Go Zone

**kaos2405** Who can possibly do it better than Brooke.

**nathenlover** I don't recall saying that Haley was coming back to town. Brooke may have said something along those lines but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. As for whether Nathan will forgive her eventually well that remains to be seen.

**Nathan4Haley **I'm glad I managed to brighten your mood. Has been a very strange time the lastfew days in London. Thanx for such a complimentary review. Glad you think I manage to write Brooke's character correctly.

**catc20 aka Cathy** Glad you enjoyed the chapter. I have difficulty writing Brooke's character so I'm glad you felt that I did ok with it. Your wait to find out what is happening with Haley is over. Enjoy.

**hilaryhilary** I'm glad you thought I did ok with writing Brooke. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Britt** As per your request here it is.

**hesfadedme** Glad you enjoyed it. Hope this one was worth the wait.

**pinkpony** Well at least I can still manage to surprise you sometimes. You haven't completely managed to infiltrate my mind. You're about to have one of your wishes fulfilled. Although it was actually something I've had planned for months.

**RoseRows** Don't worry this story has a hell of a long way to go. Glad you're continuing to enjoy it. Well once again I have fulfilled my part of things so the balls in your court.

**unfolddream** Yes it's fun writing Nathan that way. He is definitely going through a rough time at the moment but there is a hell of a lot still to come for him so guess you'll just have to wait and see how he manages to get himself together. Glad you enjoyed the chapter.

**A.N** **I just want to say a huge thankyou to everyone who emailed and got in touch through reviews about the bombings over here. Luckily I think everyone I know is ok although I am still waiting to hear from some people. It's been as I'm sure you can imagine a very strange few days. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.**

**Chapter Thirty**

Haley woke with the overwhelming urge to throw up. Lurching out of bed she made a dash for the bathroom only just making it in time before she began retching and emptied the contents of her stomach into the bowl. "You really want to punish Mommy don't you little one?" she said with a fond smile rubbing a gentle hand over her slightly raised stomach. "Would it have killed you to let me have a sleep in, after all it is the weekend." Standing gingerly from the floor she waited a moment to ensure that her bout of sickness had abated at least for the moment.

Making her way carefully to the kitchen she made herself some toast and a cup of weak milky tea. She carried her breakfast through to the living room and looked around barely registering the details of the room she sat in. The room was quite bland and she had done little to make it homely in the two months since she had moved in. Perhaps unconsciously she still hoped that if she did not allow this house to become home then there was some possibility that she would not remain here.

How she had gotten through the last two months she truly didn't know. Almost every waking moment had been consumed with thoughts of Nathan and the mess she had made of both of their lives. She still clung to the insane hope that one day out of the blue he would call her up and tell her that he was willing to talk things out but thus far her hopes remained unfounded. Hearing her phone ring she glanced at her watch and smiled slightly to herself. _Right on time._

"Morning Brooke," she said brightly "and before you ask no I have not packed my bags and I'm not coming back to Tree Hill today."

Brooke started to speak but before she got more than the first syllable out Haley cut her off. "I'm not coming back tomorrow either Brooke."

Brooke sighed in frustration "Alright, alright," she said managing to sound only mildly put out. It wasn't as if they hadn't been having the same conversation for the past two months but she couldn't help but hope that one day her begging slash manipulation would have the desired effect and Haley would return to Tree Hill. But she wasn't quite ready to give up yet she had a baby due in less than two months that was desperately in need of a godmother and as far as Brooke was concerned no-one other than Tutor Girl could cut the mustard in that job.

"You know a certain little baby is still waiting on his God Mother to come to town?" Haley smiled at the wheedling tone in Brooke's voice. _If only Brooke knew that there was more than one baby that would stand to benefit from her return to Tree Hill but there was no way she could tell her._ The truth was she would love nothing more than to confide in Brooke about her impending pregnancy. She and Brooke had been friends for so long and it would truly be something special for them to be pregnant at the same time and be able to share all the weird and wondrous things that were happening in both of their bodies. But she knew that there was no way that she could share this news with Brooke. However wonderful a friend Brooke was if there was one thing Brooke was not known for it was her discretion and ability to keep a secret especially from Lucas. The last thing she wanted was for Nathan to learn that she was pregnant. If they were ever to mend their differences she wanted to be sure that he was not simply returning to her out of obligation to their unborn child.

"Tutor Girl are you still there?" Brooke asked impatiently leaving Haley to wonder what she had missed in their conversation because Brooke was obviously waiting for a response of some kind.

"Yes Brooke sorry I was miles away."

"Hah," Brooke said obviously put out by Haley's lack of attention. "So anyway Broody and I were talking last night and we were thinking we might make a road trip and come and see you, so why don't you give me your address and we'll be there next weekend."

Haley shifted uncomfortably in her seat on the couch although she couldn't help but smile once again at Brooke's persistence. For Brooke was not only bad at keeping secrets but she was also driven insane by knowing that someone else was keeping one from her. Brooke Davis did not like being left out of the loop. "Brooke I'm sorry I hate keeping secrets from you but I just really need to keep my distance from everything Tree Hill related right now. I'm still settling into my new job and my house is still a mess after moving in," she said looking around the spotless living room she was sitting in. She despised herself at that moment for the deceit she was so readily dishing out to her best friend. She did her best to push the guilt from her mind but it was a definitive presence in her psyche and no matter what she did it would not be banished.

Brooke made her blatant unhappiness with Haley's response more than apparent. "Tutor Girl quit making excuses if you don't want me there then just say so. We're too good of friends to be beating around the bush with each other."

Haley could feel a sob rising in her throat. "Brooke you have no idea how much I want to be able to tell you but I just can't."

"Tell me what?" Brooke said exasperatedly. "What's the damn secret this time? You know Tutor Girl this is the second time you have left town because of some deep dark secret don't you think it's starting to get a bit old. So why don't you just save us all some grief and tell me now."

Haley listened to Brooke's words and immediately felt her chest tighten in fear and anticipation. _If Brooke continued this train of thought she could put the pieces together and then her secret would be blown completely out of the water. She couldn't allow this to continue. _Latching on to the first thought that entered her mind she blurted out. "Is Nathan doing better?"

Brooke knew that Haley was deliberately attempting to distract her from her line of questioning but she also knew that Haley needed to hear this. "To be honest Haley no he's not really. He's going through the motions, going to work each day and hanging out with Lucas but it's like he's just treading water. He doesn't seem to know which way is up at the moment and who can blame him?" Brooke said. The truth was Brooke knew that more than a small portion of the blame lay at Nathan's feet also but she was hoping that if she kept baiting Haley then maybe she could get some sort of sign of life out of her. As far as she was concerned the behaviour of the two of them was bordering on the ridiculous both of them closing off from everything around them and doing nothing more than simply existing. If things continued this way then she was extremely worried for the welfare of both of them. Lucas could deal with Nathan but Brooke had made Haley her own personal project and she would not rest until she knew that the two of them were going to be ok and as far as she could see the only way that was going to happen was for them to be together again.

The guilt Haley felt at that moment was almost like a huge boulder pressing down on her and for a moment she struggled to breathe past the lump in her throat. Deep down she had known that Nathan would in all likelihood not be doing well but she had still held out some hope that maybe just maybe he was coping better than she was. That whole saying about absence making the heart grow fonder was once again proving to be true although in this case it was more like making it shrivel up. The only thing that was keeping her going out and living her life at the moment was the tiny baby growing inside of her and the knowledge that she couldn't allow the same fate to befall this one as she had her darling Schapelle. This time around she was doing everything possible to keep herself in the best possible health and had already on many occasions made many a mad dash to the local hospital's emergency room at the slightest twinge of pain. The nurses were all on a first name basis with her and more than one doctor knew her well enough by now to actually stop on the street for a chat. She was determined that this time around she would not be taking any chances.

"Tutor Girl what is with you today? Are you even listening to me?"

"I'm sorry Brooke I'm just really tired, things have been really busy at work."

"Yeah so you keep saying but you are yet to tell me anything about this mystery job of yours."

"There's no mystery Brooke, it's just a regular teaching job and no Brooke I am not going to tell you the name of the school so you may as well save your breath and not ask the question."

"Fine," Brooke huffed "But you know the only reason I keep asking these questions and pressuring you like this is because I love you. You do know that don't you Hales."

"Of course I do Brooke and I love you too. You're one of my best friends but I'm afraid this is just the way it has to be at least for now at any rate."

"I know, I know," Brooke said "I just worry about you and hey even Nathan sometimes, well at least when he's not being an ass."

Haley couldn't help but laugh. Some things never changed and one of them was without doubt Brooke's forthrightness. She never held back from giving her opinion even when or maybe that should be especially when it wasn't actually asked for.

"Anyway Brooke I think it's time you and I moved onto some other topic of conversation so why don't you tell me all the latest gossip from Tree Hill."

"Why do you think I'd have the gossip," Brooke asked in a fake injured tone.

Haley paused for a moment wondering if perhaps she was being slightly unfair to Brooke in treating her like she was some sort of gossip queen but before she could formulate an apology Brooke began speaking once again talking a mile a minute.

"Alright you obviously know me too well. Actually there has been one major piece of gossip floating around town and I'm actually in the prime position to be able to get the inside story."

"Brooke if you're about to start telling me that Nathan and I are still the number one topic of conversation then save it because I really don't want to hear it."

Brooke snorted "As if," she said incredulously "you two are old news no the big story going around Tree Hill at the moment is that it appears Dan has left Deb. You know that business trip he went on well he still hasn't come back and whenever anyone asks Deb about it well you know what she's like she puts on a brave face but it's pretty obvious something is going on."

"Oh no Poor Deb," Haley interjected genuinely upset for the older woman. She herself had never been a huge fan of Nathan's father but she adored Deb and she knew that this must have been devastating for her. "Is she ok?"

"Hell if I know," Brooke responded "she's not telling me or anyone else for that matter anything."

"Maybe I should call her." Haley mused to herself forgetting for the moment Brooke's presence at the end of the phone line.

"Or better yet you could come visit her," Brooke suggested.

Haley digested her words for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Brooke this is not just another one of your ploys to get me to come home is it?" she asked her point blank.

"Tutor Girl I can't believe you would think such a thing of me," Brooke said once again using that fake injured tone but Haley was not falling for it this time.

"Well Brooke even if that isn't the case the simple fact is I will not be coming home to visit Deb or anyone else in Tree Hill for that matter. A phone call will have to suffice."

Brooke made some disapproving noise under her breath but purposefully made certain that it was just loud enough for Haley to hear. "That's right Haley don't let any of us interfere in your efforts to run away and hide," and for the first time Haley detected some real bitterness in Brooke's tone.

"Brooke I know this is hard for you to understand but can you just trust me when I tell you that I'm doing what is best for everyone.

"Yeah sure Haley well you just keep telling yourself that. I have to go now." Brooke said before hanging up. Haley listened to the dead air at the end of the phone in shock she would never have predicted that Brooke would hang up on her like that and yet she had and now she was left with two very unappealing options. She could either call Brooke up and try to smooth things over or she could simply back off and give her some time to cool down and hope that when she did she may be a little more open to seeing Haley's side of things. There was of course one other option but it was not one that Haley particularly wanted to think about at this stage. No matter how horrible it was being on bad terms with Brooke there was absolutely no way she could even consider returning to Tree Hill.

**Spoilers:- **Nathan and Jason have a chat. Some less than surprising news for Nathan.


	32. Follow Your Own Advice

**A.N Hey guys well I'm having to use an internet cafe to post the new chapter so it will have to be a short and sweet authors note and I won't be able to give out individual shout outs for all those amazing reviews. However I will take the time to tell you how much I'm enjoying reading your reviews at the moment. So many of you are so annoyed with Haley and her behaviour at the moment and while I can see where you are coming from I'm afraid that you will find that this story is already planned out a long way in advance and I actually have several of the next chapters typed and ready to upload so unfortunately you're not going to be able to influence me to change anything. I will say though for all you die hard Naley supporters that there is hope around the corner. Although she won't be returning just yet there will be an event in the next few chapters that leads her to re-evaluate where her priorities are and return to Tree Hill. SO hang in there salvation is coming. Lol. Anyway this hasn't ended up being all that short after all. Oh by the way I won't be able to give you any spoilers at the end of this chapter so you're just going to have to make do with the general one I just gave you. Looking forward to hearing what you all think of the chapter. So please anyone out there who is reading but not reviewing drop me a line I'd love to know what you think. This chapter is dedicated to all my loyal reviewers you know who you are.**

**Chapter Thirty-one**

Nathan stood in the gym watching the multitude of young athletic males warming up. Today was supposed to be one of the more exhilarating days of the year for him and yet he found himself at best disinterested and at worst completely uncaring of the spectacle before him. It was try out day for the Raven's basketball team and today would be the day that he would select those that he felt may one day have what it takes to be a Raven and possibly even in the future make it at Varsity level. Ordinarily the idea that maybe amongst this group of boys there could be a future NBA champ would have him practically chomping at the bit to start putting them through their paces but not today. As he looked at the group of boys before him he couldn't help but notice that perhaps he was not the only one who felt this way.

Jason was there half heartedly stretching and limbering up for what would surely be an important day for him and his possible future success as a basketball star. Nathan had known for a long time that this kid was good but that however did not automatically qualify him for a place in the team. Jason just like all the others would have to go through his paces and prove himself in front of Nathan and the other two selectors.

Dragging his attention away from Jason, Nathan blew sharply on his whistle. "Alright guys time to see what you can do. We're going to start by splitting you into groups and giving you some basic drills to complete then after the first round of these we'll narrow down the group slightly. As each round is completed you're going to find that the drills get progressively more difficult so don't any of you expect a free ride. If you think this is going to be some easy little game of catch then you're wasting my time and your own. So I'm telling you now if there is any one of you here not willing to give one hundred and ten percent then you may as well leave right now because there is no place on my team for anyone who isn't fully committed to this game. The only way you are going to be on my team is if you're prepared to work damn hard for your place on it. Right lets get started." He blew sharply on his whistle once again and stood back with his arms crossed to see what talent would present it.

But although his eyes were fixed firmly on the youths in front of him anyone who glanced at him closely would immediately have been aware that although he was present in body his mind was somewhere far, far away.

He truly didn't know how his life had become so fucked up lately but he did know that Haley was gone and that was the way it had to be. She may not be to blame for what happened with Tim but she had lacked the courage to allow him to know about it and help her and that in his mind was a worse crime, because her selfishness had led to him missing out on knowing his daughter and there was nothing she could do or say that could possibly change that now. It wasn't even as if he was really angry with her it was more a case of being extremely disappointed that she had not been the perfect creature that he had always believed her to be. Deep down he knew that it was unfair to her to have placed her on this pedestal but he couldn't help that he had always somehow expected more from her than what he knew other guys could expect from their girlfriends. They'd had their chance and they'd blown it and there was nothing more for him to hold onto.

The frown on his face was noticed by one of his fellow selectors. "Not impressed coach?" he asked.

Snapping his attention back to the court in front of him "Nah they're doing fine I've just got other things on my mind. I'm fine now, so let's see what these boys can do."

Watching the boys he grimaced as he watched Jason miss an easy lay up. _What the hell is he doing?_ "Jason get over here. What the hell are you doing? You should not be missing a shot like that."

Jason walked over to where Nathan stood with his head down waiting for the rebuke that he was sure was to come his way.

"Would you mind explaining to me just what the hell is going on with you because at the moment it doesn't even look like you want this at all? I thought this is what you've been wanting all these years and now you're in the process of just throwing it all away. Well congratulations because if you don't get your act together then you can consider any chance at Varsity level to be in the trash." Looking at Jason he was shocked for a moment to see him apparently not even really listening. "I think you better get into my office. You and I need to talk." Opening the door he ushered him through. "Right take a seat and then you can explain to me why I went out of my way to get you into the tryouts today only to have it thrown back in my face."

"Coach," Jason tried to interrupt him.

"No you can wait your turn. Technically you shouldn't have even been trying out today you're younger than these other guys but I stuck my neck out for you and this is how you repay me." Nathan threw his hands up in disgust and stared at the youth waiting impatiently for him to give his side of events.

"Look Coach I know what you've done for me and I really appreciate it but I've just got a lot of shit going on at the moment."

"Yeah well bad luck," Nathan said "shit happens but you've just got to learn to deal with it. If you really want this then you can't let anything get in your way." Nathan could see that his words were not having the desired effect. "Alright well obviously you need to get this off your chest or you're going to completely screw up your chances. So lay it on me."

Jason looked at him in shock.

"You heard me," Nathan said "tell me what the hell is going on and let's see what we can sort out. Because from what I've seen of you, you have the potential to go a long way. You don't want to screw this up now."

Jason looked taken aback and coughed nervously as if unsure whether he could really talk to Coach Scott about what it was that was bothering him. He could feel the older man watching him but try as he might he could not bring himself to look up and face his eyes, terrified of what his coach might see. There was no way Coach Scott would let him onto the team if he saw some sign of weakness and surely telling him that he was distracted because of a girl could only be of detriment to the coaches opinion of him. But almost as if his mouth had a will of its own he felt it opening and the words came spilling out. "Um well you see there's this girl," he heard Nathan's sigh at his words and for a moment considered forgetting all about being on the team and instead making a run for it but he knew deep down that he needed to talk to someone about this and he knew his friends would not cease to tease him about it and his father hadn't been around for years. His mother would probably listen but he didn't really believe that she could be of any real help it wasn't like she had any experience of being a teenage boy. He could feel Nathan's eyes boring holes into the top of his head as he continued to look at his feet, taking a deep breath he continued. "I've liked her for ages and for a while I thought she liked me too and then a few months ago she all of a sudden went really cold on me. For a while I thought maybe she was just having issues or you know going through female stuff so I just gave her some space but then yesterday I tried to talk to her and she completely froze me out. I guess I just don't know what's going on."

"Welcome to the club," Nathan muttered under his breath.

"What do you mean?" Jason asked.

Nathan looked uncomfortable for a minute having not intended Jason to hear his words but then shrugged aside his inhibitions. If the kid was going to get anywhere in life then he had to get some sort of clue what the female race was like. "Look Jason basically as men we don't have a hope of ever understanding how women's minds work but the one piece of advice I would give you would be that if you do really like this girl then do whatever it takes man. You don't want to end up in my situation one day."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jason queried.

"I really don't want to get into it but what I will say is that when I was your age I had a girl that I really cared about to but things didn't work out. We both made a lot of mistakes and were too stubborn and scared to talk things out and it resulted in us losing whatever chance we may have had of a future together. There is no way in hell we're ever going to be together again so I guess what I'm saying is don't leave things unsaid between you and this girl whoever she is."

"Kelly, her name's Kelly," Jason told him quietly.

"Yeah well if this Kelly is really what you want then you better do something about it. Now I hope you're ready to concentrate on your game man because I want to see you go out there and tear up the court. You can talk to Kelly again after tryouts right now your mind has to be on the game."

Jason nodded confidently. "I'm ready." he said.

Walking out to the gym Nathan couldn't help but feel a certain pride that he had been able to help the kid sort through what was going on in his head. When he had first said he was going to be working at the high school almost everyone that was closest to him had met the idea with skepticism. They all knew he could play basketball but at the same time most had had their doubts about his ability to be able to communicate well with the youths who would no doubt look up to him for leadership. It was no secret that he had not exactly been a prince during High School although he had done his best to keep his lairizing to a minimum out of respect to his relationship with Haley because at that time nothing was more important to him than her but somehow despite the low period he had gone through after Haley's sudden departure he had managed to grow into a man that almost everyone was proud of.

His smile of pride in himself dissipated somewhat as he realised that yet again his thoughts had led to Haley. As much as he had spent all of his time lately trying to avoid all thoughts of her she was still there ready to creep into his subconscious the moment he let his guard down. Sighing he thought back over his words to Jason, he hoped for the kid's sake that he was able to make things right with this Kelly. He didn't want the kid to go through what he had with Haley. Just because he no longer had any hopes of a happy ending with her didn't mean Jason should give up on Kelly. A little voice inside his head told him _Just like you shouldn't have given up on Haley._ He pushed the voice aside it was too late for him and Haley now. Too much had happened and there was no way they could ever go back to the way things were. Besides the only reason he had ever gotten involved with her again was for revenge he had wanted to hurt her the way she had hurt him but it was a cold comfort knowing that Haley was now just as miserable as he was.

By the time the tryouts finished Nathan had once again managed to push all thoughts of Haley aside and was actually happy with the way things had panned out. After their little talk Jason had seemed to get his mind back on his game and had blown away the majority of the competition for the position of Shooting Guard.

Pushing the door to the teacher's lounge opened he nodded at a few of his colleagues but didn't pause to chat. Walking quickly through the room he glanced at the notice board and after finding nothing of particular concern to him turned to leave. It was then that he heard the voices of a couple of the older women teachers gossiping in the corner.

"Did you hear about that Professor from Strayer University?" one asked the other as Nathan couldn't help but overhear.

"Yeah what was his name Joshua something or other wasn't it?" the other replied.

Nathan's interest perked as he heard the mention of the name that had plagued him for the past months. _Surely they couldn't be talking about the same Josh?_ Pretending to see something he was interested in on the bookshelf he paused in front of it listening intently.

"Imagine a man of his age being caught sleeping with a student," she said indignantly.

The other woman clicked her tongue disapprovingly "and with a male student no less. That's just disgraceful. It would never have happened in my day."

"I don't know if that's necessarily the case," the other woman said "but in our day people knew how to be discreet about such things."

Nathan turned away he had heard enough. He had wondered how long it would take for Josh's little secret to be exposed _or perhaps not so little_ he amended to himself and now it was out in the open for everyone to know. For a brief moment he allowed himself to wonder how Haley was dealing with this news but then resolutely pushed those thoughts aside once again. It didn't matter to him anymore. She didn't matter. Whatever happened to her now was none of his damn concern.


	33. You Can't Hide Forever

**A.N Ok guys still having to post updates from an internet cafe so will try once again to keep my author's note short. I in no way believe that this chapter is up to standard but I have been playing around with it for days and cannot seem to get it right so I apologise for it and hopefully I can make it up to you with the next chapter. That being said I would still love to hear what you think. Can't help but notice that reviews have dropped off a bit lately so am hoping to get a few more this chapter. On that note doodlebah if you're still out there reading I would love to hear from you same with heather dawn and jacqueline22393. Where are you guys I haven't heard from you in ages?**

**Chapter Thirty-two**

Pulling into the car park Haley looked in the rear view mirror and studied her complexion. She looked terrible and she knew it. Her face was bereft of colour partially due to the regular bout of illness that greeted her every day when she woke up but also the melancholy that had had her in its grip ever since she had last spoken to Nathan. She had made a conscious effort lately to make the best of her situation but the happiness she showed was more often than not forced. Apart from the feeling of the tiny baby growing inside of her, the only thing that genuinely brought any good feelings to her life at the moment was her job.

Although her time at Tree Hill High had been less than a success she had persevered with her desire to be a teacher and was now feeling much more comfortable in the role. Her students actually seemed to be responding positively to her methods and looking back at all the mistakes she had made during her time at Tree Hill High she could now only wonder what on earth she had been thinking. She had made a decision to look upon that now as only a learning experience.

Getting out of her car she walked into the building responding to greetings from teachers and students alike before briskly continuing to the teachers lounge. As she entered Cathy one of the Maths teachers looked up.

"Hey Haley how's the morning sickness today?"

Haley smiled wanly "same as yesterday and the past few months for that matter," she said despairingly.

"Oh you poor thing," Cathy said "guess it won't be long and you'll be needing a whole new wardrobe."

"Yeah," Haley said ruefully "maybe I'll get you to come shopping with me."

"Sure I'd love to," Cathy answered enthusiastically "just name the day."

"Well we'll have to make it soon I'm definitely going to need a whole new wardrobe if I'm going to survive a Vermont winter. I'll see how I'm feeling on Saturday but if you're up for it I think that maybe we should head over to Brattleboro and make a day of it."

"Sounds good," Cathy agreed "now I've got to run I have so much prep to do for today's class but I'll talk to you later."

Haley laughed as the other woman ran out of the room. She and Cathy had hit it off almost from day one when Haley had been lost trying to find her way to her first class. Cathy had helped her and invited her out for a drink that night and since then the two had been quite close. Cathy had been married young and divorced and had an understanding of just how hard it had been for Haley to leave Nathan behind. She knew very few of the details of what had happened but had sensed that there was quite a story behind Haley's relationship with the mysterious Nathan.

Haley gathered what she needed for her first period class and headed off determined to bury herself in her work and not give Nathan another thought.

By the time fifth period rolled around she was glad to be escaping for the day. She had arranged to have the rest of the afternoon off to attend her four month check up at her GP's and she anxiously drove towards his office. Her emotions as these appointments approached were always mixed in some respects she looked forward to hearing the latest progress on the child growing inside of her but there was always a certain amount of trepidation mixed in with it. Memories of her experience with Schapelle would never truly be gone and it was difficult not to expect the worst.

Driving past the surgery she groaned in frustration as she realised there were no spaces in the tiny parking lot adjoining the building. She drove a little further down the road and eventually found a spot that would require herto walk less than five minutes back. Quickly pulling into the spot she hurried up the road to attend her appointment.

When she walked out forty-five minutes later the smile on her face was plain for all to see. The appointment had gone well and they had even done a sonogram at the nearby hospital and she now had her very first photo of her baby. Pulling it out of her purse to look at it for what must have been the twentieth time since the doctor had given it to her she was too absorbed in the image in front of her to hear the familiar male voice calling her name.

It was only as a hand clamped down on her shoulder that she turned startled to find herself face to face with Josh. Shocked for a moment she simply gaped at him speechless unable to think let alone speak. Finally breaking her shocked gaze away from his face she noticed the young man who had hurried up to them and now stood beside Josh sliding his hand into Josh's free one.

"What do you want Josh?" she said harshly. "Please don't tell me you've come to ask me to marry you again. I assume you received the ring when I had it couriered back to you I think that should give you a pretty good indication of what my answer would be to that."

"Haley," he started to speak but paused as he took note of the picture in her hand before shooting his gaze to her slightly protruding stomach. "Oh my God you're, you're…"

"Yes Josh," Haley said without any noticeable altering of her tone "I'm pregnant. Not that it's any of your business. Now if you'll excuse me I have some marking to do." She rushed away trying hard to fight back the tears that gathered in her eyes. Although she no longer had any feelings for Josh he was nevertheless a part of her past and seeing him again so suddenly caused a lot of other memories to flood back as Nathan's face filled her mind.

"Haley please," Josh said coming after her once again. "Please can't we just talk? You have no idea how sorry I am for everything that happened between the two of us if there was any way I could go back and change it I wouldn't hesitate for a second. I guess I would just really like us to see if there is some tiny part of that friendship leftthat we had before everything got so messed up."

Haley looked at him aghast hardly able to comprehend the words that were spewing forth from his mouth. Seeing that she was still not going to speak Josh decided to give it one more try.

"Haley you're not the only one who was lied to," her head jerked up in shock at his proclamation. "I was lying to myself too for the longest time. I couldn't admit to myself who I really was or who I wanted to be with."

Haley looked into his eyes and could see that he was speaking the truth. It would be completely unfair of her to hold it against him when she had lied to him also. She should never have got engaged to him when she had never truly stopped loving Nathan. Looking back at it now she couldn't help but wonder if perhaps sub consciously she had somehow known the truth about Josh. Maybe that was why she had been with him because he had not posed a threat to her and could never have taken even the smallest part of her heart.

Looking up at him she nodded slightly. "Ok," she said quietly "let's start again. Why don't you and your new friend," she said for the first time looking closely at the other man "come to my house for dinner tonight?"

It was Josh's turn to be flabbergasted as he looked at Haley in disbelief. "Are you serious Haley?" Noticing her small nod of assent he continued. "That would be wonderful."

Pulling a piece of paper from her bag she scrawled a few lines onto it. "Here's my address," she said handing him the piece of paper "why don't the two of you come by at about seven."

"Sounds wonderful Haley. Would you like us to bring anything?"

"Just yourselves," Haley said before turning and walking towards her car.

When she arrived home she busied herself preparing for her dinner guests. She didn't want to dwell too much on her past but was hoping that this dinner would be a way of resolving at least some of what had happened during the past few months. Obviously Josh could not give her any closure on her situation with Nathan but he could help her close the Chicago Chapter of her life. Plus if truth be told she had seen a genuine sorrow in Josh when he had spoken to her that nightand it had been apparent that he was being honest with her when he had spoken today.

Putting a casserole in the oven she went upstairs to shower and change. When she was ready she finished her dinner preparations and awaited her guests' arrival. She was not totally sure what she should expect from the night but she very much doubted that it would be in any way boring.

Glancing at her watch she saw that they were due in less than five minutes and quickly hurried to complete her last minute preparations. Hearing the doorbell she put down the plate she had been holding and walked to the door to answer. Opening it up she was confronted with the sight of Josh planting a quick kiss on the lips of the young man who was standing with him. It was the same person who had been with him earlier and Haley's suspicions that this was Josh's boyfriend were now confirmed. Clearing her throat to get their attention she watched as Josh blushed slightly.

"Haley I didn't mean for you to see that." He apologised quickly.

Haley had to work to hide the grimace of distaste on her face from him. Personally she didn't have a problem with gay people but the fact of the matter was that up until a few months ago this was the man she had planned to spend the rest of her life with and raise children with. Seeing him kissing another man was hardly a reassuring statement about her own attractions. Shaking her head she did her best to banish the thought from her mind but as it had on many occasions since that fateful night in Chicago that insidious thought refused to be dismissed. When she really thought about it she would always try to convince herself that she was simply being ridiculous but nevertheless when she was lying alone in her bed at night she would wonder how a man that had professed himself to be in love with her could have then turned around and admitted that he actually had feelings for other men. When she was at her lowest points over the past months she would even consider the possibility that perhaps it was because of her that he had turned gay. She knew it was ridiculous but still it refused to be dismissed outright.

Her mind was a confusing jumble of emotions most obviously related to Nathan but Josh was there too causing her self doubts and reproach.

"Haley are you ok?" Josh asked.

Looking at him blankly for a moment she quickly recomposed herself. "Of course Josh I'm fine. Why don't you both come in? Dinner is almost ready."

Following her into the house the two men hovered nervously near the door to the living room.

"Haley are you sure you're ok about us being here?" Josh asked once again.

"I said I was didn't I. Now please stop with the ridiculous questions and sit down. Can I get you a drink Josh?" After he answered she turned expectantly to his companion before realising that they still had not been properly introduced. "Hi," she said "well as I assume you've been told I'm Haley, Josh's ex fiancée." The men fidgeted nervously at Haley's words but Haley continued on heedless or perhaps uncaring of their discomfort. "And exactly who would you be?" she asked not altogether politely.

"Uh my name is Kelvin. It's nice to meet you." He stammered nervously.

Haley glanced at him briefly before turning away. "So Kelvin would you like a drink?" she asked over her shoulder not bothering to look back at him.

"I'll have whatever Josh is having thanks." He told her.

After she had got their drinks she came back into the room. "Well why don't we sit down and eat. I think we have a lot of talking to do."

As they ate Josh explained to her his position on things at the moment. "To be honest with you Haley it was not only you that I was lying to, for the longest time I was lying to myself and denying who I truly was even to myself. I am so sorry that you had to get caught up in this. I honestly believe however that I wasn't lying to you because everything I told you was the truth as far as I was concerned at that time."

Haley looked at him closely her conflicted emotions reflected plainly on her face. She didn't know whether to believe him and even if she did believe him did it matter? The fact of the matter was that he had kept a huge part of who he was from her and yet he had professed to want to marry her and spend his life with her. The only thing she was sure of was that she was confused and somehow she had hoped that by simply talking to Josh some of that confusion may be lifted.

As she stared at him though she couldn't deny the honesty that was blazing out of his eyes there was no doubt that at the very least he believed what he was telling her. Reaching a snap decision she smiled at him. "Ok Josh I believe you." It was either a case of forgiving him or being caught up in this for the rest of her life. Forgive and forget as they say. That was the only logical course of action.

He was clearly stunned that he would not need to make any further attempt at convincing her. "Haley you know if there was ever anything you wanted to talk about I would still totally be here for you. I mean it's obvious that things between us were never meant to be romantically but I still consider you to be a close friend and I hope you feel the same way about me."

As she absorbed his words it was as if a giant weight was lifted from her shoulders. Finally here was someone that she knew well enough that she could talk to them freely but that was not somehow involved in the whole saga that was her relationship with Nathan. She had considered talking to Cathy about her situation but she could never quite find the right words to begin the conversation. How do you tell someone that you're only just getting to know that you were engaged at the age of seventeen and raped by his best friend and subsequently became pregnant? That was without even going into the whole running away, still birth and engagement to another man. There were so many things that Josh didn't know about her past but perhaps he was the perfect person to discuss it all with. Maybe he could offer the perspective that she so desperately needed.

After all she now knew all of his deepest secrets and despite the fact that she had forgiven him it was highly unlikely that she would ever see him again after tonight. "Josh you've shared the truth with me tonight and now if you don't mind I would like to do the same. There is something that I need to talk about but it has to stay strictly between us." As she said this she looked up at Kelvin making it clear that he was included in the vow of secrecy she was enforcing on Josh. "I don't necessarily need or want an opinion on what I'm about to tell you but I need to tell somebody or I'm going to explode."

Seeing the slight nod of assent from the two men she told them everything that had happened right from when Nathan had first asked her out up until the present day. When she had finished Josh sank back into his chair his face crinkled in disbelief. He took a moment to absorb everything that he had just been told. "Haley that explains so much, now I understand why you were so unsettled when we got engaged and why you could never bring yourself to wear my ring. You never stopped loving him did you? Even now you're still in love with him."

Haley could feel tears gathering in the corners of her eyes as she silently nodded her head, unable to deny the facts of what he said.

"So why are you here? Why don't you go back to Tree Hill and fight for him? You can't just give up on someone that you love so much especially when there is a baby involved." Kelvin burst in suddenly.

Haley turned to him in shock. "I don't really think that that's any of your concern." Looking at Josh she could see that he too was ready to start giving his thoughts on the situation. As she looked at the two men she immediately began to regret telling them. She shouldn't have told anyone. This was something that no matter how unhappy it was making her she simply had to deal with on her own.

Standing up abruptly she turned to the two men. "Um look I'm really tired I think perhaps it's time for the two of you to go. I'm glad we got this chance to talk Josh and I hope the two of you have a wonderful life together." As she spoke she ushered them towards the door. Opening it up she quickly turned to the closet pulling their coats from it. "Enjoy the rest of your stay in Vermont," she told them.

She almost had them out the door when Josh paused and turned back to her. "I know you don't want any advice Haley but I am going to say one thing. Forget about everything that you and Nathan have been through and think of the baby. That baby growing inside of you deserves to know its daddy and no matter what he may have done Nathan should not be denied a chance to know his other child. He missed out the first time do not make him miss out again." Leaning in he kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Thanks for dinner Haley and do me a favour think about what I said." He turned to Kelvin grasping his hand in his own. "I'll see you around Haley." He said and walked to the car.

The drive back to their hotel was completed in relative silence and when they arrived Kelvin watched in surprise as Josh immediately pulled his laptop from its case hooking up to the internet. "What are you doing?" he asked inquisitively.

"Setting right some wrongs," Josh responded cryptically. Entering the search engine he typed in the key words and for the next few minutes scrolled through the volumes of information that filled his screen. Finally looking up triumphantly, "Kelvin honey hand me my phone. I have a call I need to make."

Taking the cell phone in his hand he punched in a number displayed on the screen. He waited for the masculine voice at the other end and when it answered he launched into speech.

"Mr Scott?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yes" came the response.

"I'm calling to tell you that you're going to be a father."

**Spoilers:- The repercussions of Josh's phone call. An accident. A very pissed off Brooke.**


	34. One Split Second Can Change Everything

**A.N Ok guys for the second time tonight I am going to attemp topost this chapter. If you've received two authors alerts for it I'm sorry. For some reason it onlyposted like half the chapter so I had to remove it and try again. Anyway I really wasn't planning to update tonight but opportunity arose. Only a couple of you will know what this means but the Internet Nazi is out and I'm free to use it. Anyway I hope you all enjoy the surprises I have in store for you with this chapter and remember to leave lots of reviews because they definitely inspire me to update sooner.**

**Chapter Thirty-three**

"Who the hell is this?" he responded.

"That really doesn't matter," Josh answered "the sole purpose of this call is simply to let you know that you're going to be a father. What you choose to do with that information is entirely your own concern."

"Well then why don't you start by telling me something I don't already know?"

"What?" Josh spluttered in confusion.

"Well considering that my wife has less than two weeks until her due date there would have to be something drastically wrong for me not to be aware of that."

"Your wife?" Josh asked incredulously.

"Yeah my wife," came the response with more than a hint of sarcasm. "You know the woman I'm married to."

"Um of course," Josh said "well congratulations." He could hardly believe his own ears as the news sunk in. Here he had thought that he was doing Haley a favour and now he finds out that Haley was better off without Nathan. He debated whether to call her and tell her about this latest development but almost immediately dismissed the idea. From the way Haley had spoken that night she had no intention of getting into contact with Nathan again sothere was no point causing her even more pain. She had enough to deal with, without this. He looked sadly at the receiver in his hand before gently placing it back on the cradle. Unfortunately he didn't realise that the number he had called was not Mr N. Scott as he had intended but rather the number directly above it a Mr L. Scott. Perhaps if he had known things would have turned out differently but then again perhaps not.

"Hang on a minute who is this?" He asked but the question was met with only dial tone.

Looking quizzically at the phone he turned at the sound of Brooke's voice. "Honey who was that?"

"I wish I knew," Lucas answered. "I wish I knew."

But Brooke wasn't settling for that. "What the hell is that supposed to mean Broody?"

He shrugged noncommittally. "Uh uh you are going to have to do better than that," she said crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at him.

"Brooke if I knew what to tell you than I would but it was just a really strange conversation. This guy rang up and started telling me that I was going to be a father. Now obviously I knew that but he seemed really shocked that it wasn't coming as a surprise to me."

Brooke's glare grew. "Broody you better be telling me everything, because if I find out that you are keeping secrets from me there is going to be hell to pay."

"Brooke calm down of course I'm not keeping secrets from you. What the hell sort of secret do you think I would be keeping?"

"All I know," she continued to rant "is that the only baby you better be expecting is this one right here." She said patting her stomach protectively.

"As if you even need to ask," Lucas scoffed at the mere suggestion that he might be cheating on her.

"Then what were they talking about?" Brooke asked her tone softening slightly with confusion.

"Like I've been trying to tell you I have no idea. Maybe it was just some kid playing a prank." But his tone indicated that he didn't really believe that.

"Did they actually ask for you by name?" she asked.

"No," Lucas replied thoughtfully "actually they didn't. That was the strange thing they just asked for Mr Scott."

Brooke's face lit up as an idea hit. "You don't think?" she said excitedly.

"I don't think what?" he asked puzzled.

"Maybe this is the answer to the mystery," she continued her excitement visibly increasing.

"Which mystery?" Lucas asked cautiously.

"Why he left her." Brooke answered clapping her hands with glee.

Lucas still looked confused and Brooke looked at him in abject disappointment. "Come on Broody get with the program. All this time we've been trying to figure out why he left and maybe this is the answer."

"Brooke for goodness sake will you stop speaking in riddles. Just tell me what it is you're trying to tell me already."

Brooke looked at him the way one might view an ignorant child. "Alright Broody don't blow a gasket. I'll break it down for you."

Lucas ignored her sarcastic attitude and sat quietly waiting for her to explain herself.

"Deb never gave us a reason why Dan never returned from his business trip. Isn't it feasible that he was cheating on her and got this other woman pregnant? That's why he hasn't come back he's too scared to face her. You know what a pansy ass he can be when it comes to facing up to his actions and I reckon if there is one person he would not want to take on then it would have to be Deb. Have you seen that woman when she's in a temper? Man" she said with a tone of wonder "she is a force to be reckoned with."

Lucas looked shocked for a moment. "Do you really think so?" he asked in astonishment. She could almost see the cogs of his mind turning over as he absorbed the information and speculated on the likelihood.

"Well it would explain a hell of a lot don't you think."

"Deb never did give us any sort of explanation for why Dan left. All she said was that he was gone. So what do you think Broody, mystery solved?"

"It's certainly possible," he conceded, "It does sound like the kind of thing Dan would do but I don't know something just doesn't quite ring true about it."

"But it's the only logical explanation," Brooke said forcefully not wanting to examine the possibility that she may be wrong.

"Ok, ok," he said holding up his hands "Well if that's what you think then I guess you may be right."

Brooke was momentarily satisfied by his agreement with her and moved onto other subjects. "So did I tell you Peyton called today? She and Jake are tossing up the possibility of moving back to North Carolina."

Lucas looked up interested. "Really, why?"

"Well she said that Jake's current contract is coming to an end and they've been talking about it and they want the kids to be able to know their extended family. At the moment with them living in California they only get to town like once a year. Last year they didn't end up coming at all. Jake's parents had to go visit them. But I guess now that they've got Madison as well as Jenny it's become more of an issue."

"So when are they thinking of moving?" Lucas asked.

They continued their mundane conversation but when they went to bed that night Brooke lay awake for a long time pondering the mysterious phone call. However despite all her musings she never once considered the possibility that it was Haley who was the one pregnant.

She lay tossing and turning for a while not only struggling to get comfortable with her large pregnant belly but unable to stop thinking about the situation. Finally she sat up poking Lucas in his side with her finger impatiently.

"Wake up Broody," she said loudly.

"What now?" he asked irritably.

"Don't you dare give me attitude," Brooke said angrily, "now get up we're going out."

"Out?" he asked incredulously "out where?"

"You and I are going to go pay a visit to Deb and find out what the hell is going on."

Lucas looked at the bedside table and groaned. "Brooke you have got to be kidding it's almost midnight. Can't this wait until morning?"

"If it could wait do you think I'd be asking you to get up now? Come on Lucas," she wheedled "I'm never going to get to sleep if I'm laying here worrying about it and you know how important it is for me to get my rest now. Think about our poor baby."

Lucas could feel himself softening towards her until he turned and saw her smile through the darkness. "Uh uh Brooke you are not going to blackmail me into this."

"Fine," she huffed "then I guess I'll just go on my own." She stood up from the bed with some difficulty and began looking through her cupboards searching for something to wear.

Lucas groaned again before throwing back the covers "Alright fine," he said "I'll drive you but you're the one who has to explain to Deb what the hell we're doing turning up on her doorstep in the middle of the night."

She rushed over to him as fast as her heavily pregnant body would allow her to throwing her arms around him. "Thanks Broody, I love you."

"Yeah I love you too;" he said gruffly "now lets get dressed the sooner we go to Deb's the sooner we can come back here and get some sleep. I do have to work in the morning you know."

"I know and I promise I'll make it quick."

The two hurriedly dressed before heading to the front door. Pausing Lucas looked at the rain beating down against the pavement "you had better be really grateful for this." He said.

She nodded her head furiously in agreement. "Oh I will be Broody I promise. I'll be sure to show you just how grateful just as soon as we get back."

"That sounds promising," he said with a grin holding the door open for her.

Lucas put his seatbelt on as he got into the car and turned to Brooke waiting expectantly for her to do the same. When she remained unbelted he looked at her curiously. "Why aren't you putting your seatbelt on Honey?"

"You try wearing one of those things with a beach ball strapped to your stomach and tell me how it is. Then you might be able to talk. Besides we're not going far and there's practically no traffic on the road at this time of night."

Lucas threw his hands up in defeat "Ok if you're sure."

Pulling out onto the road he drove off slowly at first gradually picking up speed as his eyes adjusted to the poor visibility. They were almost halfway there when Brooke suddenly clutched at her stomach groaning. Lucas looked at her alarmed "Brooke, what's wrong? Brooke tell me what's wrong for goodness sake."

Breathing deeply she smiled reassuringly "I'm fine Broody it's just one of those damn Braxton Hicks things I've been having them all day."

"Are you sure you're ok?" he asked concerned.

"Yeah of course… Oh my God Lucas look out," she screamed looking up and seeing the car swerving into their lane.

Lucas' reactions although quick were not quick enough and despite his evasive actions the car he was driving clipped the bumper of the other one and careened off the road crashing into a power pole.

The other car sped away leaving behind a mess of twisted metal; the pole had snapped in half and was lying on the road live wires sparking all around.

There was no movement from either occupant of the car. Somewhere off in the distance sirens screamed as people from the neighbouring houses began to converge out onto the pavement looking in horror at the spectacle before them.

**Spoilers- News of the accident brings Haley back to Tree Hill. 'Its a boy'.**


	35. Mrs Haley Scott?

**A.N Wow to be honest I was expecting more of a reaction to that last chapter but for those of you who did review it was very much appreciated and with all the angst in those reviews I figured I had better not keep you waiting any longer for an update. So I'm risking my life (if the Internet Nazi catches me I'm a dead woman) to give you a new chapter. This chapter is dedicated to Rose. Ordinarily having someone calling me a loser and telling me I suck would not exactly be appreciated shall we say but in this case it definitely bought a smile to my face. And Jess if you have any ideas how to get the nazi off my back I'm all ears. Now normally I wouldn't update when I have recieved less than ten reviews for a chapter but I'm making an exception this time so I expect you to all make it worth my while and leave me lots of reviews this chapter. It would be great to get some in depth reviews too so I know just what it is about this story that keeps you guys reading or what it is you like about the chapter you have just read. Enjoy the chapter I'm looking forward to reading those reviews.**

**Chapter Thirty-four**

Haley sat at her desk glad to be finally on a break. The morning had not been a good one and she was enjoying the chance to sit down and have a coffee before her next class began. As she sat she flicked through the newspaper in front of her. Someone had left it on her desk and although she had no real interest in the world's events at that particular time she nevertheless continued to skim the pages. As she scanned the page a headline caught her attention.

**Tree Hill Road Horror.**

But it was the pictures next to the paragraphs of text that caused her heart to leap into her mouth. Staring back at her plain as day was Lucas and Brooke. She could feel her heart pounding as the words began to swim in front of her. Forcing herself to focus she began to read the story.

The cup in her hand fell to the floor as she took in the enormity of the words printed before her. Three of the other staff see this and rush over including Cathy.

"Are you ok? Haley talk to me. Is it the baby?"

Haley remained silent in the face of their questions her pale face portraying no emotions.

"Perhaps we should call an ambulance," one of the staff said.

Finally the words of concern from her colleagues registered and turning to look at them she responded.

"No I don't need an ambulance. The baby's fine." Looking around her as if unsure of where she was or how she got there she stood up heading to where her purse was. "I have to go. I have to go now." Grabbing her bag she rushed out of the room leaving her colleagues bemused behind her.

"What on earth was that about?" one asked but Cathy made a shushing motion with her hand as she picked up the newspaper. One of the male staff members began to laugh "It's probably just hormones I remember when my wife was pregnant she was an absolute nutcase. I almost thought I was going to have to have her committed. Luckily she snapped out of it once our daughter was born."

The female members of staff around him glared balefully.

Cathy placed down the paper and looked around her at the other members of staff. "Isn't she from Tree Hill?" she asked. One nodded "Yeah I think so I was talking to her one day about how I had family in Charlotte."

"Well I hope she doesn't know the people they're talking about in this article because by the sounds of it they are in pretty bad shape."

Haley drove as quickly as she could back to her house throwing the bare essentials into a bag before once again rushing out the door. Jumping in her car she turned it in the direction of Tree Hill.

By the time she arrived back in Tree Hill it was almost 10pm. She didn't pause before heading to the hospital. Pulling into the parking lot she went straight to the main desk. "I'm here to see Brooke Davis-Scott," she told the woman behind the desk.

"I'm sorry dear it's well past visiting hours you'll have to come back tomorrow."

"No," Haley said slamming her fist down onto the desk. "I have to see her now."

"Are you a family member because at the moment they're only allowing family in to see her," the woman said looking up from her computer screen.

"Yes I'm family my name is Haley Scott," she said with the barest of hesitations. "I'm her sister in law."

"Ok Mrs Scott she's on the third floor take the lift at the end of the hall and go to ICU."

"Thank you" Haley said with genuine relief. "Wait," she said pausing and turning back to the desk "she's going to be ok isn't she?"

The woman looked down unable to meet Haley's eyes. "That's something you will need to discuss with her doctor." She said quietly.

As she approached Brooke's room minutes later she had to pause to gather herself. All these months Brooke had been trying to get her to return to Tree Hill and Haley had blatantly refused and now Brooke was lying in a hospital bed completely helpless. Haley didn't even know if Brooke would be aware that she had finally returned.

Entering the room she could no longer hold back the tears that had been threatening ever since she had read the newspaper article that morning. Walking to the bed she sat down taking Brooke's hand into her own. _She couldn't remember a time in her life where she had felt so terrified and helpless except for but no she didn't want to think about him now._ Brooke lay on the bed her face pale and a bandage covering the majority of her head. There were several machines beside the bed and each beeped as it monitored its own individual statistic. Haley could almost feel her heart breaking as she looked at her best friend normally so full of life lying on that bed looking so deathly still. "Oh Brooke I'm so sorry. I've been so selfish, so caught up in my own misery and now I come back to you like this."

A voice from the door halted Haley's torrent of self blame. "Mrs Scott I was told you want to see me," came the voice. Haley turned to the woman at the door.

"Are you Brooke's doctor?" she asked.

"Yes I am," came the response "and I'm sure you must have a lot of questions for me but I think it would be best if we went back to my office to talk properly."

Haley looked down at Brooke doubtfully unsure about leaving her again so soon after finally returning.

"It won't take long Mrs Scott. You can come straight back."

"Haley," she said "please call me Haley."

"Ok Haley why don't you come with me and we can have a chat and I'll tell you whatever you need to know."

Squeezing her hand Haley stood up from her position at Brooke's bedside. "I'll be right back Tigger," she promised. Regretfully she loosened her grip on Brooke's hand and followed the doctor out of the room and down a hallway to her office.

"Why don't you take a seat Haley?" the doctor told her. Haley read her nametag and did as Dr Monroe requested. "Now Haley I'm sure you have a great deal of questions for me but perhaps it would be better if I gave you a brief run down on Mrs Davis-Scott's condition and then you can ask me any questions you have after that." Haley nodded in silent assent and the doctor took this as her cue to continue.

"Well firstly I guess you need to know that Mrs Davis-Scott is in a coma. We don't know how long it will last nor will we know the full extent of her injuries until she wakes up. At the moment we know she has suffered internal haemorrhaging inside her frontal lobe which was causing fluid on her brain. We have operated to correct this and now to be honest it's just a matter of waiting to see. Everything possible has been done to ensure that she is comfortable and I don't believe she is in any pain at the moment."

Haley smiled grimly. If there were anything that she could gain any sort of comfort out of in this situation then at least there was the fact that she wasn't in any pain. Feeling a sharp jab in her stomach she looked down for a moment placing a hand over her baby bump before suddenly jerking her head up in dismay. _What on earth had she been thinking how could she not have asked about Brooke's baby?_ She opened her mouth to speak but was so terrified of what the doctor's answer might be that for a moment she could not force the words that would bring her answers.

Finally inhaling deeply she leant across the desk gripping the doctor's arm desperately. "Wait," she said hoarsely, "what about the baby? What about Brooke's baby?"

Doctor Monroe looked down at the hand still clasping her sleeve. Gently she put her own over it removing it from her arm. "He's fine. We did an emergency Caesarean but although he was slightly early he seems to be doing just fine. He is a very lucky little boy."

Tears of relief flowed down Haley's face but they soon turned once more to ones of despair. "It's a boy," she whispered to herself. "Tigger was right. She was so convinced that she was having a boy and she was right." Noticing the doctor's sympathetic gaze remaining on her she stood up abruptly. "Can I see him? I need to see Brooke's baby."

"Of course," the doctor said "I will arrange to have someone take you to the nursery to see him as soon as you would like but there is one more thing that we need to discuss. Mr Scott, he…"

"Oh God Lucas," Haley gasped "I completely forgot about him. How is he?"

"He has a lot of external injuries but other than a few fractured ribs he seems to have escaped with practically no internal injuries. He was very lucky not to puncture a lung. We currently have him sedated on some fairly heavy pain medication but you should go up there he has been floating in and out of consciousness most of the day but I'm sure he would be very relieved to see another familiar face when he wakes up again."

"Another?" Haley questioned cautiously. "Has Nathan, my uh husband been with him?"

The doctor gave her a quizzical look obviously wondering why she would feel the need to be seeking this information from a virtual stranger.

Haley hurried to come up with an explanation that she hoped would satisfy the other woman. "I've been away on an extended trip and his cell phone has been switched off all day so I assumed he was here during that time."

Seemingly satisfied with her explanation the other woman smiled reassuringly at Haley. "He has been here ever since it happened but we finally convinced him to go home and rest. He was mentally and physically exhausted."

"Ok," Haley replied "well I guess I'll just see him when I go home then." Inwardly she was heaving a huge sigh of relief. During the drive she had been dreading the inevitable confrontation with Nathan and while she knew that it would have to happen eventually she was more than content to postpone it as long as humanly possible. "Well I'll make sure I go up to see Lucas too before I go."

"If there's nothing else you need from me then I'll let you get back to Mrs Davis-Scott. I'm sure you're anxious to spend some time with her. If there's anything else at all I can do for you Mrs Davis-Scott don't hesitate to contact me. Just let one of the nurses know if you need to speak to me."

"I will thank-you doctor." Standing up Haley left the office in search of a nurse that would take her up to see Brooke and Lucas' son.

Ten minutes later she was standing at the window of the nursery looking in at the tiny baby who looked so much like his mother already. He was sleeping peacefully and Haley was relieved to see that just as the doctor had promised he appeared to be in perfect health.

"Mrs Scott," Haley turned at the sound of the voice inwardly grimacing at the title she was being given. Nathan would most likely be furious if he were to find out that she was walking around claiming to be his wife but surely he would understand if she explained that it was the only way she could get in to see Brooke.

Looking at the nurse standing in front of her she waited for her to speak.

"Mrs Scott," she said again "Dr Monroe asked me to tell you that the baby can be released tomorrow and she wanted to know what time you would be collecting him."

"Me?" Haley asked incredulously.

"Yes," the nurse responded "that's what it says on these forms. Apparently with Mrs Davis-Scott's parents abroad and Mr Scott being unable to take on the care of the baby they had to look into any arrangements Mrs Davis-Scott had made in case anything happened to her or Mr Scott. She named you and a Mr Nathan Scott as the baby's legal guardians.

"Can I see that please?" Haley asked holding out her hand for the piece of paper the nurse was reading from.

"Um I guess that would be ok," the nurse said uncertainly glancing around to ensure that no-one else was watching her do something that she was fairly certain went against hospital protocol. She handed Haley the piece of paper and watched as the pretty brunette scanned the words.

Sure enough printed in bold black print were Brooke and Lucas' express wishes that should anything happen to them the baby should be cared for by Mr Nathan Scott and Mrs Haley Scott. For a moment Haley was able to forget about the gravity of the situation surrounding her and allowed a smile to cross her face. It was such a Brooke thing to do. She had obviously not given up on Haley and Nathan reuniting and getting married in the future and had gone ahead as if it were a foregone conclusion.

As far as Haley was concerned there was no question in her mind that she would do just as Brooke had wanted and care for her baby while she was unable to. Turning back to the nurse she handed her back the piece of paper. "Tell Dr Monroe I'll be here to collect him at 9am."

She peered in through the window once more. "Goodnight baby I'll be back to get you in the morning but right now I need to go check on your mommy and daddy. You be a good boy for the nurses." Kissing her fingertips she pressed them against the glass pane.

Walking purposefully back to the nurses station she stood waiting impatiently for the woman to get off the phone. Finally seeing her place it back on the receiver she told her. "I need you to find out for me which room Lucas Scott is in."

Entering his room minutes later she had a renewed purpose she was going to care for that little baby just like his own mother would until the two parents were well enough to do it themselves. She didn't allow herself to consider the what ifs because at that moment she needed to believe that they would somehow both be fine and coming home to the baby they had been so anxiously looking forward to.

She paused in shock as she took in Lucas' broken body lying on the bed. Although according to the doctor his injuries were not as serious as Brooke's he looked so much worse. His head too was bandaged and his arm in a sling as well as a leg being in traction. Gingerly she approached the bed running a hand gently over his forehead. "Hey Lucas I don't know whether you can hear me," she said to his sleeping form "but I just want to let you know that everything is going to be fine. I'm going to take such good care of that little baby and I'm sure before you know it you and Brooke will be home caring for him yourselves."

As Haley watched Lucas opened his eyes groggily. "Cory," he whispered.

"What?" Haley asked not having heard him.

"The baby, his name is Cory."

Haley could feel tears brimming in her eyes as Lucas once again slipped out of consciousness.

"Cory," she repeated quietly. "Cory Davis-Scott. It's perfect."

**Spoilers:- Nathan gets an unpleasant surprise when he goes to visit his nephew. A nurse cops his wrath.**


	36. Where's Cory?

**A.N Wow thanks to you guys I have actually cracked the 400 review mark. I never thought I would see the day when one of my stories got to that stage so I owe all of you a huge thankyou. I'm posting another chapter today (as you know because you're reading it) but at the moment things are pretty messed up in my life so I'm not totally sure when I will be posting the next one. I promise to make it as soon as possible. This chapter is dedicated to Jess who is not only the author of one of the best stories on this site (A Woman's Worth) but also offered me some excellent advice today. Thanks Jess I really appreciate it. I hope you all enjoy the chapter and I would love to see at least as many reviews again as I got for the last one. Flashback in Italics.**

**Chapter Thirty-five**

Nathan groaned as the alarm clock beside him began its incessant beeping. Cracking an eye open he grimaced as he realised that the sun was barely up. For a moment he had to stop to wonder what on earth had possessed him to want to get up this early on a Saturday morning. As he rolled onto his back the events of the past couple of days came flooding back and he sat up abruptly throwing the covers off and scrambling to get out of bed. Opening his closet he grabbed the first set of clothes he could lay his hands on and dressed quickly, grabbing his keys from the nightstand he hurried out the door not stopping for anything.

As he drove he dwelt on everything that had happened. When the phone call had come through in the middle of the night three nights ago he initially had been disbelieving of the man claiming to be a police officer. Surely there could be no way that it really was Lucas and Brooke in that car but as he listened to the officers description of the car and its passengers a cold lump of dread had formed in the pit of his stomach and he had hung up the phone not wanting to hear anymore of what the officer had to say. Much like he had this morning he had quickly grabbed some clothes and rushed out the door in the direction of the hospital.

_That drive through the almost deserted streets of Tree Hill in the middle of the night had seemed like one of the longest of his life. But when he finally did arrive at the hospital he could not garner the strength to get out of the car and walk through the doors, terrified of the news that awaited him. Finally forcing himself out of the car he had begun to walk towards the doors before breaking into a run. Bursting through the entrance to the emergency room he had taken no notice of the other occupants of the room and had immediately made his way to the desk._

_"I need to speak to someone about Lucas Scott and Brooke Davis-Scott now." He told the woman sitting behind the desk wasting no time on unnecessary niceties._

_She looked at the computer screen in front of her "I'm afraid you are going to have to wait. They are both in surgery right now."_

_Nathan slammed a fist down onto the desk "That's not good enough I need to know what's going on." As the nurse continued to look at him blankly his shoulders slumped and he dashed a hand across his eyes trying to hide the evidence of the tears that were forming. His voice cracked as he spoke again "Please he's my brother, I have to know if they're going to be ok."_

_A hand came to rest gently on his shoulder and turning he was confronted with the tear stained face of his mother. Deb looked at him sadly "Nathan why don't you come and sit down with me while we wait for the doctors to finish with them. I'm sure they'll come tell us what we need to know as soon as they can."_

_Nathan sent one last pleading look in the nurse's direction and when it was once again met blankly he turned and followed his mother to the hard plastic chairs that formed the waiting area. Looking around he could see other families of sick and injured people all dealing with their own personal demons. One lady was kneeling praying quietly in the corner, some sobbed quietly; a couple slept while others sat staring ahead blankly, clearly terrified of what was happening to their loved one. As he watched a doctor approached one of the men and spoke quietly to him. The sound of the voice had broken the man's reverie and he looked at the doctor before him in what almost amounted to confusion for a moment before slowly realising once again where he was. As the words registered Nathan saw the man who had only moments before been a picture of strength sink to the floor, huge wracking sobs overtaking his body._

_He stood up abruptly. He couldn't handle this waiting and watching. Hoping for and at the same time dreading the arrival of the doctor that would give the prognosis on his brother and sister-in-law's lives and of their baby. Looking down at where his mother sat tears running silently down her face he spoke. "Mom I've got to go get some air. I'll be back ok. If the doctor's come I'll be right outside." Deb nodded silently and Nathan walked away._

_Pushing through the doors he breathed deeply and almost mechanically began pacing back and forth in front of the doors. Every so often he would look up in search of a doctor that did not come. He had no idea how long he had been out there when finally he was interrupted by the arrival of a doctor. The woman introduced herself but Nathan barely heard her. Then the news that he had been waiting for._

_"Mr Scott your brother is going to be fine. He has several broken bones and a concussion but I see no reason why he shouldn't make a full recovery."_

_Nathan heaved a sigh of relief "What about his wife? What about Brooke?" he asked._

Nathan was snapped out of his reverie by the sound of Ambulance sirens screaming into the hospital grounds and for a moment he wondered how he had gotten there. He had somehow completed the drive on auto pilot and now found himself in the parking lot at the front of the hospital. Getting out of the car he strode purposefully towards the doors. Getting into the lift he headed up to the fourth floor waiting impatiently as more people piled in beside him. Finally after stopping at every floor he arrived at the fourth and walked briskly towards Lucas' room. Just before he reached it he was stopped by a nurse's voice.

"Mr Scott, your brother is with the doctors right now and they're probably going to be a while. Perhaps you could go get a coffee while you wait."

Nathan sighed with frustration he wanted to see Lucas and reassure himself that he was still ok. For the first two and a half days he had not left the hospital and had only ventured away from Lucas when he had gone to check up on Brooke and his nephew. A small smile crossed his face as he thought of the baby. There was no doubt that he was a Scott. Nathan had known it instantly looking at him. That's what he would do while he was waiting for the doctor's to finish with Lucas he would go and check in on his nephew. His smile grew at the thought. **His Nephew**. He was an uncle. Still smiling he left the fourth floor and headed to the nursery. When he had been there yesterday the doctors had been hopeful that the baby would be ready to leave hospital today and although the idea of caring for a newborn completely daunted him he knew there was no-one else he would trust with the job. Besides he was sure his mother would help him if he needed it. Smiling wryly to himself he corrected himself it would be more of a case of when he needed help rather than if. But still the idea of caring for the baby excited him. At least that way he would feel as if he was doing something constructive for Brooke and Lucas.

He walked to the nurses' desk and smiled warmly at the young nurse sitting behind the desk. The woman blushed at the sight of the attractive man standing in front of her smiling at her.

"Can I help you?" she asked nervously.

"I certainly hope so." Nathan replied. "I'm here to see my nephew."

"Oh ok what's the baby's name?" she asked looking at the list in front of her.

"Well he hasn't actually been named yet but his parents are Lucas Scott and Brooke Davis-Scott."

A small frown crossed the young woman's face as she consulted her list. "Baby Scott was released this morning," she said.

The smile fell from Nathan's face as he stared at her in shock. "What are you talking about? There must be some kind of mistake."

"No," she replied more confidently having double checked the information in front of her. "No mistake, he's gone."

The shock on Nathan's face was replaced by rage at the thought of the baby being with strangers while his parents were both fighting for their lives. Pulling out his cell phone he turned it on immediately.

"Sir there's no cell phones allowed in the hospital."

Nathan ignored her as he punched in the numbers that would put him through to directory inquiries. "I need the number for social services," he said abruptly when the automated voice answered.

"Excuse me Sir," the nurse tried to interrupt but Nathan simply glared at her before turning away and stalking up the hall where her irritating voice would not intrude on his conversation. As he waited impatiently to be connected to the social services offices he paced back and forth. Finally hearing someone answer he spoke harshly to the receptionist. "I need to speak to whoever is in charge there."

"I'm sorry Sir you will need to make an appointment if you need to speak to one of our officers."

"Fuck that," Nathan said menacingly "Just let me talk to someone now. I want to know what the hell has happened to my nephew."

"Oh you're a family member," the woman said "well perhaps if you give me the name of the child I can put you through to the person in charge of that particular case."

"He hasn't been named yet, he's only three days old for Christ's sake."

"Sir if you want me to help you, you are going to need to calm down. Now if you can give me the necessary information I'll do my best to help you."

"Sorry," Nathan said sharply "This is just a really stressful situation. His parents are in the hospital and at the moment I'm his only next of kin in town. His parents' names are Lucas Scott and Brooke Davis-Scott and he was collected from Tree Hill Memorial this morning."

Nathan could hear the tapping of keys on a keyboard at the other end of the phone. "I'm sorry Sir I have no record of that child."

"Are you serious?" Nathan asked "then where the hell is he?"

"I'm afraid I have no idea," the woman responded "none of our officers have been to the hospital this morning. Perhaps you should check with other members of your family."

"Thank you," Nathan said momentarily deflated "I will." Hanging up the phone he stormed back to the desk. "Do you want to tell me where the hell my nephew is and just who has got him?"

The nurse was clearly flustered in the face of his anger and shuffled the papers in front of her not wanting to meet his eyes. "Um," she said "I believe it was your wife," she told him.

"My what?" Nathan thundered slamming a fist down onto the desk before planting both hands on the desk and glowering menacingly at the woman.

"Your wife," she repeated uncertainly "A Mrs Haley Scott."

Nathan felt as if he had been punched in the gut. Haley was back in Tree Hill and what was worse she had his nephew. _What the hell is she playing at?_ _Why was she telling people that she was his wife?_ The answer to that question however was fairly simple she had obviously known that was the only way that she would be allowed to take the baby. He could have her arrested for kidnapping. She had no right to take the baby away from here. He pulled out his phone and his fingers hovered over the numbers that would dial the police. He was so tempted to call them and have them find her and deal with her but deep down he knew that would be an overreaction. She was Brooke's best friend and one of the baby's future godparents. Brooke would probably never forgive him if he had Haley arrested. No he would deal with this himself. He would find her and he would get his nephew back and then if he had his way she would leave town again and go back to wherever the hell she had been for the last four months. Turning purposefully he strode down the hall. Haley would not be difficult to find and once he did well she had better have a damn good excuse for what she had done.

**Spoilers:- Haley and Cory spend some quality time together. Nathan searches for Haley. A confrontation**.


	37. Jerry Springer or Dr Phil?

**A.N Yes I know my life should turn to shit more often. So much for my hiatus in fact since I can't remember the last time I posted two chapters in a day I guess this would be the anithesis of a hiatus whatever that might be. Anyway the nazi will not be home yet again tonight so am taking advantage of it and posting another chapter. I know the last one was quite drama free but I'm fairly certain that you will find that this one more than makes up of the last one. This one is dedicated to Hilary for the gazillion emails I recieve from her practically every day and for Nats who always leaves such awesome reviews. One last note Cathy where are you? I haven't heard from you for a while.**

**Chapter Thirty-six**

Nathan drove around trying to think of where Haley would go. He had already tried most of the motels in Tree Hill but had realised early in his quest that it wasn't really that likely that she would take the baby to a motel. He had tried driving by the house where she had been staying when she had last been in Tree Hill but had immediately spotted the elderly couple in the drive unloading their groceries. Now he was at a dead end he had gone to all the obvious places and there had been no sign of her he wasn't sure where he should try next.

As he drove slowly down the road that led back to his beach house he had a sudden thought. He was certain he knew where she was. Turning the car around he headed in the direction of the house.

Haley smiled down at the baby cradled in her arms. "Do you know how lucky you are Cory? You have the best mommy and daddy in the whole world. I know they're not here right now but I promise you as soon as they possibly can they're going to be home with you. She looked around at the room she was in. It had been so loving prepared in anticipation of Cory's arrival. The walls were painted a pale shade of blue and all around the borders were motifs of farmyard animals. Brooke and Lucas had done a wonderful job preparing the nursery and she had known instinctively as soon as she had collected Cory from the hospital that this was where Brooke would want her to take him.

It had been no small feat accomplishing the task however as she had had to commandeer the house keys from Deb and somehow convince her that she not only should not call Nathan but that indeed she couldn't call him. Haley had only managed to convince her in the end by promising to call him herself. A promise she had thus far failed to keep. She knew however that if she didn't do it soon then Deb would have no hesitation in ratting her out to her son.

Feeling the baby stir in her arms she looked down at him and began to sing softly, rocking him gently as she did. When he had once again fallen asleep she stood up walking carefully to the crib in the corner of the room and placing him in there gingerly. "Sleep tight Cory. I'm going to go and unpack and then we're going to go visit your mommy and daddy." Placing a light kiss on his forehead she backed out of the room switching on the baby monitor as she did.

Carrying the other part of the monitor with her she walked down the hall to the guestroom where she had put her suitcase earlier. Walking over to it she began to unpack. As soon as she finished unpacking she was going to take a shower providing that Cory had not woken up again. Humming lightly to herself she started pulling out clothes and placing them on hangers in the closet.

Pulling up out the front of the house Nathan looked at it intently looking for any sign of life within. He was certain that this was where Haley would be but he couldn't quite imagine what had led her to this choice. She must have known that he would track her down here eventually. Getting out of the car he strode up to the front door banging impatiently as he waited for her to answer.

When the door finally opened he barged in "Where are they?" he asked his patience bordering on non existent.

"Where's who?" Deb asked feigning ignorance.

"You know damn well who I'm talking about?" Nathan growled "now get them down here right now." As his mother made no move to obey Nathan stormed to the bottom of the stairs yelling up them, "Haley get down here now and bring my nephew with you."

"Nathan," Deb said coming up behind him and tentatively placing a hand on his sleeve.

He shook her off impatiently. "Haley," he bellowed once more.

"Nathan they're not here."

"Well then mom why don't you tell me just where the hell they are so I can go get my nephew away from that lying bitch."

"Nathan there's no need to speak about Haley that way; you know what a hard time she's been through."

"Yeah," Nathan responded "and I also know that she lied at the hospital and told them she was my wife for Christ's sake, that's the only reason they let her take the baby."

"Nathan I'm sure it was nothing like that."

"Oh well then do you mind explaining to me why I've just been told that my wife, a Mrs Haley Scott has taken custody of my nephew."

Deb looked shocked for a moment. "She didn't tell me that." She mumbled under her breath but apparently not quietly enough.

"Hah," Nathan exclaimed whirling around to face her "So she was here."

A stricken Deb nodded remorsefully. "Yes Nathan she was here but she's gone now and I'm not sure where she is." She almost choked on the lie as she did her best to appear to be telling the truth.

"Nice try Mom. Look I know she probably told you not to tell me but this is my nephew we're talking about. This is not about her or what she wants. This is about that baby."

"Cory," Deb said quietly.

"What?" Nathan asked.

"His name is Cory."

"You cannot be serious she did not go ahead and name that baby. Who the hell does she think she is? His mother?"

"No Nathan you don't understand Lucas woke up when she went to see him and he told her that the baby's name is Cory."

"Lucas actually woke up and spoke to her?" Nathan asked with an air of disbelief. "Are you sure?"

Deb nodded mutely in response to her son's question.

Nathan could hardly believe what he was hearing in all the time that he had spent with Lucas in the last few days begging him to wake up and talk to him he had barely even got a flicker of his eyelids. The one occasion he had opened his eyes he had tried to speak but his words were incoherent and nothing he said made and sense to Nathan. Yet when Haley had gone to see him he had been awake enough to talk to her and tell her what the name of his son was. He knew it was slightly immature of him to feel jealous but he couldn't ignore the small pang that he felt knowing that Haley had been the one to succeed where he himself had failed.

Turning his attention back to Deb his anger momentarily abated he asked once more. "Please Mom just tell me where they are. I have to know that the baby, that Cory is ok."

Deb could see the sheen of tears in her son's eyes and her heart almost broke for him. Nodding her head she told him what he wanted to know and watched as he fled the house a renewed purpose fuelling his steps.

Padding down the hallway quietly Haley paused over the sleeping infant listening intently terrified that in the short time that she had been in her room unpacking that his tiny lungs may have ceased to function. She knew deep down that she was being ridiculous but she couldn't help but worry, despite the doctor's assurances that the newest addition to the Scott family was in perfect health.

Having reassured herself that he was indeed fine she quickly went back to her room stepping into the ensuite bathroom and rapidly shedding her clothes. She wanted to be as quick as possible so that she was out as soon as Cory woke which she knew would be soon as he was due for another feed.

Turning on the shower jets she glanced once more at the monitor sitting on the vanity and climbed in allowing the warm water to soothe away her worries.

Nathan leapt out of the car as soon as he pulled to a stop in front of his brother's house he couldn't imagine why it hadn't occurred to him earlier that this was where Haley would bring Cory. It was the most obvious place given that it was already set up for a baby. For this exact baby to be precise.

Rifling through the keys on his key chain he selected the right one and inserted it into the lock. Pausing at the bottom of the stairs he heard the sound of running water coming from above him and quickly took the stairs two at a time to reach the source of the sound. He passed by Lucas and Brooke's room and continued on almost passing the nursery next to their room without a second glance until he realised that the crib was not as empty as he had originally assumed. Walking in he heaved a sigh of relief as he saw his nephew lying quietly wide awake. Reaching in Nathan stroked a finger over his cheek. "Hey little guy, you had me worried."

Haley paused for a moment in the shower and leaned her head out listening intently for any sound coming from the monitor. She was sure she had just heard something but everything was quiet now so she assumed it had simply been her imagination.

She knew she had a difficult time ahead of her after all she knew next to nothing about caring for newborns but that wasn't what was mostly worrying her. The one thought that kept coming back to her was wondering what would happen when Nathan discovered what she had done. If he hadn't already that was. But no matter what the consequences of her actions she was glad she had done it and would not change a single thing given the chance. Brooke had entrusted the care of her child to Haley and there was no way she was going to let her down. This was something that she was going to do and she was going to do it well. She thought of the book she had bought earlier in the day on caring for a newborn. She knew she was not perhaps the best equipped person to be caring for a young baby but she was fairly sure that with the help of Dr Spock she would manage just fine.

Nathan entered the bedroom quietly, the sound of the continually running water leading him to Haley. Walking to the bed he gently placed Cory in the centre of the mattress. He was fairly certain that the little guy couldn't move yet but he didn't want to take any chances. Grabbing the pillows he placed one on either side of the child. Satisfied that his nephew was safe Nathan strode purposefully to the slightly ajar bathroom door.

Looking in his gaze immediately came to rest on Haley. Standing in the shower with her back to him he couldn't help but pause to admire the sight before him. No matter what she might have done there was no doubt that she was an extremely attractive woman. Forcing his gaze away he looked back over his shoulder at Cory reminding himself of just why he was here. Feeling a renewed sense of purpose he once more allowed the anger to build inside of him.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat causing Haley to look over her shoulder in shock.

"Nathan what are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious I've come to collect my nephew but unlike you I at least have the courtesy to tell you that I'm taking him rather than leaving you to discover it on your own the way you did to me."

"Nathan you can't be serious," she said shutting off the jets and grabbing a towel wrapping it loosely around her body. Glancing down at herself she reassured herself that the folds of the towel were at least for now hiding the evidence of her pregnancy from him. She knew she had to tell him but this hardly seemed the time when he was already so angry about her taking Cory from the hospital.

"Nathan, Brooke asked me to care for Cory and that's exactly what I'm going to do."

"Oh really," said Nathan "and how exactly did she do that considering that she's been in a coma for the past three days."

"Nathan don't be ridiculous you know precisely what I mean. She and Lucas had papers drawn up naming me as the person who should care for their children if anything should ever happen to them."

"Hmm that's strange," Nathan said scratching his chin thoughtfully "because I'm pretty damn certain that those papers you're talking about actually state that Luke and Brooke's kids are to be cared for by me and Mrs Haley Scott now unless I'm mistaken I'm pretty sure you and I haven't actually gotten married. I mean I guess we did come close one time but that's ancient history and has nothing to do with the present. So if you don't mind as his only actual family member currently present I'll be taking my nephew now."

"Nathan you know damn well that that is just a technicality, that Brooke wanted me to be a part of her children's lives."

"No I don't believe I know anything of the sort," he replied walking to the bed and picking up Cory. "Say goodbye to Haley, Cory because who knows when you'll be seeing her again. If I have my way it won't be while I'm looking after you."

"Nathan please," Haley said desperation creeping into her tone. "Don't do this."

His only response was to take his nephews tiny hand into his own and gently manoeuvre it in a waving fashion. "Bye bye Haley." He said in a slightly high pitched voice.

Haley rushed at him reaching out an arm for the baby. "Nathan don't. You can't do this."

"Oh but I think I can," he responded turning his back on Haley.

Haley grabbed his arm forgetting all about her supposed need to keep hold of the towel all that mattered right now was Cory and making sure Nathan didn't take him away from her. Nathan shook her hand off his arm and continued towards the door. Haley darted around him standing in the doorway blocking it with her body.

"What's this supposed to be Haley? What are you trying to dazzle me with your naked body? Been there done that." He said harshly. "Although I have to say Hales you are looking good at the moment." He ran his eyes appraisingly over her full breasts before pausing his face deathly pale at the sight of her rounded stomach.

"Haley are you…"

Haley could see the confusion evident on his face and knew that for the moment at least he wasn't going anywhere. Dropping her hands from the doorframe she attempted to cover her stomach wrapping her arms around her middle protectively. Protecting her unborn baby from his all seeing gaze.

"I can't believe you. I can't believe you were going to keep me from another one of my children. What the hell is your problem?" he ground out. Any pretence of civility flying out the window in the face of his rage.

Haley felt herself getting defensive and almost before she knew what she was saying the words came spilling out of her mouth. "Who says it's yours?" she bit out angrily. "I was engaged when I was with you last if you care to remember."

"You have got to be kidding me Haley as if I'm going to believe that it's Josh's baby. I knew the first time I met him that he was gay. I saw the way he was looking at me when he thought I wasn't looking. There is no way that that baby is his so unless you were cheating on both of us then I would say that it's fairly obvious that the baby is mine."

"Of course it's yours," she said quietly "I don't know why I said that."

"Wow Hales you are really making a habit of this. Getting pregnant to one guy while you're engaged to another."

Haley flinched at his words.

Nathan saw this and wished that he could stop the torrent of words flowing from his mouth but it was as if he had lost control of his vocal chords. All of the resentment that had built up was all spewing out and there was nothing he could do to control it.

Haley turned away from him determined that he wouldn't see her tears. The doorbell chimed downstairs and she walked to the closet pulling her robe from its hanger and putting it on. "Excuse me," she said "I'm expecting a delivery." Doing her best to appear in control she walked slowly to the stairs before descending to answer the door as the bell chimed again.

Opening it up she stopped horrified at the sight in front of her. "Mr Scott," she choked out.

"Hello Haley, I'm here to see my grandson." Dan smirked at her obvious discomfort as she stood clad in only a robe with her hair dripping from the shower. "I take it my son is here also." He stepped inside pushing the door closed behind him.

Nathan heard the door close from upstairs and yelled down to Haley continuing his tirade right where he had left off. "You know Hales maybe you should see if you can get on Dr Phil. I'm sure he'd have a field day with your story." Nathan walked to the head of the staircase holding Cory and stopped dead at the sight of his father.

"From what I've heard about this situation Son I think she'd be better suited to the Jerry Springer Show. Isn't that where all the white trash go with their stories?"

**Spoilers:- I'm not even sure what's going to happen next chapter myself. I have a whole plan I've been working from for this story but this chapter went in an almost completely different direction from what I had originally intended. I'm fairly certain that it's going to involve a whole lot of angst though. Hey may as well write what I know.**


	38. Author's note

**A.N Ok I've had a few emails overnight telling me that people have not been able to access the latest chapter properly or leave a review. I'm hoping that changing it so that it will be one chapter ahead will fix this problem. If anyone is still having problems just give me a shout by email and I'll do my best to rectify it.**


	39. The Truth May Not Be What It Seems

**A.N Very short Author's note because I am currently really annoyed at myself and my own stupidity. But just want to say a huge thank you to Jess who completely snapped me out of my writers block and most of the credit for this chapter should definitely go to her. Thanx so much Jess I owe you one. Thanx to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Hope you all enjoy this one.**

**I'm having another go at submitting this chapter as I have managed to majorly stuff things up last night so hopefully you will all be able to access the chapter correctly now and review if you so desire. Sorry about the mix up with it all. Hope you enjoy the chapter.**

**Chapter Thirty-Seven**

Haley stood looking between the two men in disbelief. Turning to Dan she spoke quietly but clearly. "Get out." She said opening the door once more.

"Nice try honey," Dan said cockily "but you don't get to tell me to leave my son's house. If anything you're the one who should get the hell out. We're family; you're just the woman who destroyed my son's future."

Nathan looked at Dan everything inside of him was telling him to stand up to Dan and defend Haley, everything that is except for one tiny voice inside his head that actually agreed with Dan and what he was saying. Haley had destroyed his life when she left the first time and she had come damn close to doing it again but there was no way he was going to allow that to happen for a second time. This time he was in control.

"What are you doing here Dad?" he asked cautiously.

Dan shrugged nonchalantly "Like I said I'm here to see my grandson. So why don't you come down here and let me take a look at the little tyke?"

Nathan saw Haley flinch at the very idea of Dan going anywhere near Cory. The truth was he didn't much like the idea either but he was the child's grandfather after all. Surely he had some sort of right to see him if that's what he wanted. He walked down the stairs going to stand in between Dan and Haley. Dan peered at his grandson.

"Well there's no doubt you're a Scott is there?" he said proudly. "Let me hold him." He told Nathan.

Nathan looked at Haley and saw the silent pleading in her eyes. Reluctantly he placed Cory in Dan's outstretched arms. Smirking at Haley he told her "You can leave now my son and I can handle things from here."

"I'm not going anywhere," Haley responded "Brooke wanted me to care for her son and that's exactly what I'm going to do until she is well enough to do it herself."

"Hah you shouldn't be trusted with the care of a hamster let alone a child. God knows what Brooke was thinking when she chose you. I'm just glad I came back when I did. At least someone will be here to protect my grandson from the likes of you. I may not have had the foresight to be able to protect Nate from being hurt by you but I can guarantee I'm not about to let that happen to another Scott male."

Haley turned to him tears in her eyes but while some may have expected tears of self pity Nathan knew her well enough to see that her overwhelming emotion at that moment was anger. He wondered briefly if he should tell his father to duck and cover but then figured that he had brought it on himself so he should be forced to deal with the consequences. There was however no need for Cory to be subjected to the slanging match which he could almost guarantee was about to start. Moving towards his father he took Cory quietly from his arms and moved towards the stairs ready to take him away from what was sure to be the makings of world war three.

Dan watched as Nathan moved towards the stairs and couldn't resist having one last dig at Haley within his son's hearing. Nathan needed to hear everything that he was going to say if it was to have the desired result. "Well at least we can be grateful for one thing hey Nate. At least you never got her pregnant with your child. Aren't you glad that she won't ever be the mother of your offspring?"

Nathan paused mid step whirling around to face Dan. "What did you just say?" he asked quietly.

"Come on Son no need to act all coy. You heard what I said. Let's face it, its something our family should give thanks for every single day. The fact that you never procreated with this one." He said jerking his head in Haley's direction not even bothering to look at her.

Haley opened her mouth to speak but before the words could leave her lips Nathan burst into speech. "Just where the hell do you get off speaking about her that way? You know nothing about her or what sort of mother she would have made," Haley saw him blanch as he said this and knew he was thinking once more of Schapelle breathing deeply he continued "and will make in the future. So why don't you keep your God damned opinions to yourself because no one here is interested in hearing them."

"No need to get so worked up son." Dan said placatingly "I'm just telling it like I see it."

"Yeah well in case you didn't notice," Nathan continued "nobody asked for your opinion so in the future feel free to keep them to yourself. In fact if this is the way you're going to be, feel free to just stay away from us all together."

"I really don't know what you're getting yourself so worked up about Nate I'm only speaking the truth. If anything I would have thought you would have been glad to have someone else to see things from your side in this whole mess."

Haley walked to where Nathan stood gently taking Cory from his arms. He barely even noticed as he continued to glare at his father. "I don't remember saying just what my opinion on this whole thing was. It must be great to be you Dad. Some sort of Superman who can read everyone else's thoughts without having to be told. That's pretty impressive. What would be more impressive though is if you had any idea just what the hell you're talking about because at the moment it's pretty clear that you have don't have a clue."

"Oh really," Dan said "so I'm wrong in thinking that Haley left you all those years ago because she was pregnant with a child that she didn't know who the father was, a child that she actually considered aborting."

Nathan stared at him in shock hardly able to believe the words that were coming from his mouth. _How the hell does he know about that? _But the shocks were far from over as Dan opened his mouth to continue speaking.

"Just like I'm wrong in my assumption that she is once again pregnant with your child and once again tried to keep it a secret from you."

"That is none of your damned business," Nathan yelled clearly disturbed by the extent of his father's knowledge of what was occurring in his life at this point in time.

"On the contrary Nathan I would definitely say that this is my business. I am after all your father and grandfather to both of those children. So I'm afraid Nathan that there is no way you're going to get away from me that easily. And as for you…" he said turning menacingly towards Haley.

Nathan stepped in between them immediately. "Get the hell away from her," he yelled.

"A little melodramatic aren't you son? I just want to talk to Haley alone for a moment so why don't you go upstairs with Cory and just leave us be."

"As if," Nathan said gruffly. "There is no way in hell I'm going anywhere so you can forget about that right now."

Haley though had seen a flash of something in Dan's eyes. Something she wanted to explore further and she knew she could not do that with Nathan in the room. "Nathan its fine. Cory could probably use a bottle and a sleep anyway. Why don't you take him upstairs and I'll be up shortly?"

Nathan stared at her in disbelief. Surely she wasn't serious why the hell would she subject herself to this monster of a man voluntarily. He looked around the room trying to find some possible plausible excuse to remain behind. Finding nothing he walked to the kitchen where he found the bottle that Haley had already prepared. Haley walked in behind him for a moment.

"Here," she said holding out her hand for the bottle "I'll show you how to warm it up" Nathan passed the bottle to her and watched as she placed it in the warmer. He waited for her to speak and at least try to explain herself to him but she remained quiet. The seconds ticked by in silence until after what must have been the longest four minutes of Nathan's life the bottle reached the required temperature.

Handing him the bottle she turned to walk out of the kitchen. His voice halted her just as he reached the door. "Haley why are you doing this?"

She ignored his question however and instead continued walking. "Just call out if you need any help feeding him." She said as she walked away.

Nathan looked at Cory lying contentedly in his arms. "I don't know about you little guy but I am totally confused." Cory's tiny face screwed up as he began to make small mewing sounds. "I guess that means that you're hungry hey. Alright well then let's go feed you." Nathan walked back through the living room watching as Haley perched nervously on a chair as Dan poured himself a drink. They were obviously waiting for him to be gone before they began their conversation. That pissed him off. Whatever the hell the two of them had to talk about you could guarantee that it involved him somehow. So why the hell couldn't he stay and be part of it. He didn't know what Dan was planning now but he would almost lay money that it wouldn't be good.

Walking into the nursery to collect a bib he spotted the exact thing he needed at that moment picking it up he walked back to the head of the stairs placing it on the floor before walking into Haley's room. Picking up the baby monitor from where she had left it in the bathroom he couldn't help but smile. There was no way they were going to talk about him without him knowing about it.

Sitting down on the bed he placed the teat of the bottle into Cory's mouth and settled back to listen to what was taking place downstairs. For a moment the room was filled with only the static of the monitor as everything downstairs remained quiet but then he distinctly heard Haley's voice as she began to speak.

"What the hell did I ever do to you?" she asked fiercely, her anger clearly audible despite the calmness of her tone.

"Haley relax. I was just testing the waters a bit seeing exactly what the state of play was here and now I know."

"Know what?" she asked testily watching him as he walked around the room, lifting pictures from the mantle piece and examining them before placing them back down.

"I wanted to know if my son still has feelings for you and clearly he still does."

"What?" Haley sputtered "and just how do you arrive at that conclusion?"

For a moment he didn't answer as he stood watching her. "I always wished I could have done more for you Haley, after Schapelle I mean. I always regretted that I didn't find you sooner."

Nathan stared at the monitor sitting beside him in disbelief. _His ears_ _had to be playing tricks on him there was no way he could have possibly heard what he thought he did._

"You did more than enough Dan by doing as I asked and not telling Nathan where I was. I'll always be grateful to you for that. Besides I'd barely been in Vermont a week when I left this time and you had tracked me down. I still have no idea how you did that and I'm not sure I want to know."

"What I was saying before about him still loving you," Dan continued "well do you really think he could be as angry with someone else right now as he is with you and still defend them when someone starts to insult them? Insulting you like I did just bought all those feelings to the surface."

Haley looked at Dan with a new light in her eyes "Oh my God I never thought of it like that. Maybe you're right; maybe there is still some kind of hope for us and our baby. But I still can't believe you said what you did earlier about how Nathan should be grateful that we never had children."

Dan shrugged nonchalantly "yeah well I had to get a rise out of him somehow and when that didn't quite go the way I hoped well I decided it couldn't hurt to throw in your pregnancy now and what you did when you were pregnant with Schapelle. Luckily for me he was too angry to notice that I went from supposed ignorance of the fact that you were ever pregnant to knowing about both of them. I hope that wasn't too painful for you Haley having me say all that but at least now you know why I did."

Haley sat back as a wave of shock passed over her. It was surreal at the moment. _Yes Dan had always seemed to find out where she was whenever she was away from Tree Hill and he had always been supportive of her relationship with Nathan when they were teenagers but she had always thought that he had ceased to support her after she had walked out on Nathan five years ago. The way that he was talking now though it seemed as if he was her number one ally in trying to put back together her relationship with Nathan._

Dan walked to where Haley was standing holding out his hand to her and pulling her to her feet when she took it. Leaning in he gave her a light kiss on her cheek. "I'm glad you're back honey," he placed a hand on her stomach "and I can't wait to meet my newest grandchild."

Neither one of them heard Nathan as he came down the stairs. It was only as he approached that they both turned to look at him. His face was a mask of pure rage but when he spoke it was with a calmness that belied just how angry he really was. "You know," he said tossing the baby monitor lightly up into the air before catching it again "these things are a brilliant invention. It's amazing just what they will pick up."

Haley glanced at Dan wondering what his reaction would be. She caught a look of surprise on his face which he quickly covered as Nathan turned to look at him.

"What are you talking about son?"

"Well you see," Nathan continued "I only needed to place this at the top of the stairs to hear every word the two of you just said."

Haley blanched as she realised just how much they had said not knowing that Nathan was listening from upstairs. Dan however retained his neutral expression giving away nothing of his churning thoughts to the naked eye.

Nathan turned to look at Haley, "How the hell could you do that? My own father knew what was going on and you still didn't think that I had a right to know. Not only that but you made him promise not to tell me. Where do you get off Haley treating me like this? What the hell did I ever do to deserve it?"

"Nathan it's not like that," she tried desperately to explain "I was never going to tell him anything. He found out on his own. He tracked me down."

Nathan threw his hands up into the air in a gesture of indifference. "You know what Haley I don't even care anymore. With you its just one deceit after another and personally I've had enough. If you want to stay to look after Cory then fine but don't expect us to be playing at being a happy little family because it's not going to happen."

Turning to Dan he continued "As for you well you can get the hell out and never come back as far as I'm concerned but I'm not sure your little protégé here will agree so at least do me a favour and have your little meetings away from the house. But know this, the two of you can plot all you like but it's not going to do you the least bit of good. We're through," he said gesturing to Haley "and as far as I'm concerned right now I don't have any parents. Don't let the door hit you on the way out," he said to Dan before turning and walking towards the stairs.

"Nathan wait," Haley cried "you don't understand."

"No Haley the problem is I understand all too well. What you don't get is that I just don't care anymore." With that he walked away leaving Dan and Haley staring after him in stunned disbelief.


	40. A Truce In The War Zone

**Chapter Thirty-eight**

An hour later Haley remained downstairs, Dan had left fairly soon after Nathan's outburst and although she had wanted nothing more than to go straight upstairs and try to talk to Nathan she had somehow refrained from doing so. If she knew Nathan as well as she thought she did then she knew that going after him before he had a chance to cool down would be a mistake.

Cory was still asleep and so she had nothing to do. She had tried flicking the TV on but nothing had caught her attention as she had found herself straining for any sound that might indicate movement from upstairs. But the house had remained quiet bar the light hum of the television and the occasional canned laughter that sprung forth every so often from the sitcom Haley had on.

Finally unable to bear the silence anymore she stood up and walked to the kitchen turning the radio on and singing along as she began the task of sterilising Cory's bottles.

Nathan paused at the top of the stairs he had been on his way downstairs to see her, to try and call some sort of truce. He knew it couldn't be good for their baby to be putting Haley under such stress and there was no way he was prepared to do anything to jeopardise the health of his unborn child. He grimaced as for what seemed like the fiftieth time since he had witnessed Dan and Haley's little moment the image of his father's hand pressed against her stomach replayed in his mind. As he stood there the faint sound of singing floated up to him and he almost laughed out loud at his own stupidity. Here he was worrying about Haley and their child when all the time she was downstairs singing along happily with the radio. Apparently his concern had all been for nought.

He continued down the stairs schooling his features into bland neutrality not wanting to give her even the slightest glimpse into what he was now feeling. She turned as he entered the kitchen the lyrics dying in her throat as she saw him standing watching her the way someone might observe a complete stranger.

"We need to talk," he told her without preamble.

"Ok," Haley said uncertainly as she placed the last bottle into the sterilising machine, "What about?" she asked.

"Well I guess we're not exactly short of topics are we. I think there are a hell of a lot of things that could be up for possible discussion between us but in case you weren't listening before I'm going to make it real simple for you. You and I are only living together for the sake of Cory and this baby that you are carrying. Brooke and Lucas obviously had some reason for choosing the two of us to do this together so we are going to respect their wishes, but that's it. The only other thing that you and I are going to be involved in together is our child," he said gesturing towards her stomach. "I'm not going to miss out on another one of my children coming into this world and I'm not going to let you cut me out of this. I'm going to be a part of that child's life whether you like it or not."

"Nathan I would never…."

But Nathan wasn't prepared to listen to her excuses or pleas for understanding.

"You know what Haley, it doesn't matter what you say. You try and tell me that you would never do something like that but you've done it before and I have no reason to think that you didn't have every intention of doing it again."

Haley opened her mouth to speak but Nathan continued before she could.

"Don't even bother trying to argue your case Haley. Unless you can honestly tell me that you would be here with me now having this conversation without the accident occurring."

Haley's mouth closed as she shook her head in mute denial.

Nathan laughed his disdain evident. "Oh really Haley and just when were you planning on coming back here and telling me that you were pregnant again. That I was going to be a father again. You know I thought after everything that happened before you left that maybe just maybe you would have some sort of understanding of how much that information might matter to me. I mean did you not see how devastated I was when you told me about Schapelle or were you just too caught up in yourself as usual to notice that maybe I was hurting too."

"Nathan stop it of course I knew that hearing about Schapelle hurt you but what did you expect me to do? I told you everything and you left without a backward glance. I didn't know where you'd gone or even if you were ok."

A bitter smile crossed Nathan's face as he heard her words. "Yeah well welcome to my world. Now you know how I felt when you walked out on me all those years ago. It sucks doesn't it? The constant worrying, the self recriminations wondering if there was something you could have done that could have made things work out somehow, the agonising days just waiting for the phone to ring and the sleepless nights as you realise that it's never going to. Oh but wait you only had to deal with that for like a day didn't you whereas I had five long years of it. But you go ahead and tell yourself Haley that you're the wronged party and that it all comes back to you. We should all feel sorry for Haley."

Haley looked at him stung for a moment hardly able to believe that this was the same person that she had been in love with for her entire adolescence and adulthood thus far. "If that's the way you feel Nathan then I guess there's no point in us even continuing this conversation."

Nathan looked at her stiff shoulders and sighed as he realised that rather than somehow easing the tension between them he had only served to increase it. This was not the sort of environment that Brooke and Lucas would want their baby subjected to and it certainly wasn't the atmosphere he wanted his own child surrounded in.

"Look Haley, obviously we both have a lot of stuff that we have to work through but I think for Cory's sake we have to somehow find a way to be civil to each other so I think we should call a truce at least for the moment. We'll do whatever is necessary to make sure that Cory is not wanting for anything and I'll do my best to control my temper but you have to start being honest with me. I can't handle any more of this deceit so if there's anything else I need to know you had better tell me now, I don't want any more surprises ok. I think I've had about as much as I can take."

"There's nothing else I'm keeping from you Nathan, I promise." Haley told him.

Nathan simply looked at her but Haley could see the doubt in his eyes and she was left to wonder if he would ever feel that he could trust her again. She knew that if they could not somehow regain that trust that there was no hope of them ever even being friends again. She needed to at least be able to cling to that hope because without that well she didn't know what she had left.

Hearing Cory begin to stir upstairs Nathan turned to go and get him. "I'm going to get him up, why don't you get a bag ready? I think we should probably take him over to the hospital. I need to see Lucas anyway and I'm sure you want to see Brooke."

Haley forced a smile to her lips, "that sounds good," she agreed. "But are you sure you don't want me to come help you change his diaper?"

Nathan visibly paled at the thought of what could await him upstairs. "Oh God I didn't even think of that. Yeah on second thought you better go sort him out. I'll get his bag organised."

"Nathan why don't you just come upstairs with me I can show you how to change his diaper and then we'll come back down here and make up his formula?"

"Wow," Nathan said shaking his head in disbelief "this baby stuff is more complicated then I thought. How do you know all this stuff anyway?"

Haley shrugged as she turned to him. "Books mostly, I did a lot of reading in the months leading up to Schapelle's birth. I just never got the chance to put it into practice until now."

Nathan opened his mouth ready to say something but Haley didn't want any platitudes from him at the moment. One day they might be able to discuss Schapelle honestly and openly but that day was not yet here and the last thing she wanted to do was taint her daughters memory with an argument or a barrage of half truths. Hearing Cory begin to cry she turned back to Nathan. "I think that's our cue," she said smiling slightly.

"Yeah," Nathan said with a quiet chuckle "I guess it is."

Together they walked to the stairs to go and tend to the baby that they had both promised to care for. Entering the room first Haley walked to the crib peering in at the red faced infant as he continued to squall. She wrinkled her nose at the smell emanating from him and reached in to lift him out. Cradling him close to her body she spoke to him softly. "Hey Cory, its ok. Don't cry. Although judging by the smell coming from you I'd say you have a pretty good reason for the tears." Suddenly without warning Haley pulled her hand away from Cory's back looking at it in distaste. "Ooh gross," she commented.

"Yeah," Nathan said coming to stand behind them "I'd be crying too if I smelt like that. What's wrong with your hand Hales?" he asked for the first time noticing the look of abject horror on her face.

"Here," she said to Nathan "take him but be careful how you hold him. Apparently I'm not as good at this as I thought."

"At what?" Nathan asked before noticing the brown stain now showing on Haley's arm. "Oh man that's sick," he said disgustedly "you've got baby poop all over your arm."

"Yeah believe it or not I am aware of that Nathan."

"Nathan looked at the infant that he was now holding at arms distance in front of him. "You better not even think about doing that to me little guy." He told him firmly.

Haley couldn't help but laugh at his statement as she walked through to the bathroom to wash off her arm and remove her sweatshirt. Walking back into the room she took Cory from Nathan and carried him over to the change bench. "Let's have a look at you," she said to him undoing the buttons on his tiny jeans. If there was one thing that you could count on above all others it was that no child of Brooke Davis – Scott's would ever be dressed in anything other than the height of baby fashion.

As she removed his diaper Nathan came to stand behind her, "Now that is disgusting he said vehemently. "Who knew such a tiny little guy could produce something like that?" he said in wonder.

Haley turned away to get some wipes to clean the mess off his tiny body but as she did she heard Nathan call out in surprise.

"What the…" he said as Haley turned just in time to see Nathan being hit in the chest with a stream of urine.

"Oh yeah apparently that's one of the hazards of life with little boys," she said sheepishly.

"Yeah well thanks for warning me." He said gruffly. "Now I guess I'm going to have to change my clothes too before we can go to the hospital."

Haley was struggling to hold back her laughter at the consternation on his face. He looked so funny standing there with the big wet patch on the front of his shirt and a look of such total bemusement at the events that had occurred.

"You think this is funny?" he asked in disbelief.

Silently shaking now with laughter she could only nod her head in response to his question as he continued to look at her quizzically. She definitely found this highly amusing.

"What could you possibly find funny about this?" he asked although she saw his own mouth begin to twitch as he asked the question.

"I'm just thinking about how it says in one of the books how we should be prepared for a whole lot of extra washing. I never for a moment thought that it would be us that would be having to change clothes a couple of times a day. I mean look at him Nathan, he's lying there so perfectly clean and contented and you and I look as if we've just about been through a war zone."

Nathan began to laugh too and for the first time almost since they had returned from Barbados they were able to simply relax and enjoy each other's company.


	41. Rise And Shine

**A.N Here's the latest chapter. I want to dedicate this chapter to Cathy although perhaps if I hadn't spent so much time chatting to her the last few days it may have been up a bit sooner. LOL. Anyway I hope you all enjoy it. I'll do my best to have another new one up soon. Don't forget to leave me lots of reviews so I can hear what you think of it.**

**Chapter Thirty-nine**

Haley carried Cory into Lucas' room with Nathan close behind her. Lucas unfortunately did not appear to be awake and Haley sighed as she realised that he still would not get the chance to meet his son for the first time.

Nathan however was not prepared to concede defeat that easily as he walked to the side of the bed and sat down in the chair. Punching him lightly in his uninjured arm he spoke. "Hey Big Brother, time to wake up, we brought someone to meet you."

Lucas however remained as he was; eyes closed mouth slightly agape as his breath continued sounding harsh in the quietness of the room. Nathan groaned with frustration as he was forced to accept the possibility that Lucas may once again not respond to his visit.

Haley watched the frustration and sadness cross Nathan's face as he looked at his brother lying helpless in the hospital bed and felt her heart contract in sympathy for him. Things had hardly been easy between them that afternoon but they had definitely improved since they had managed to laugh together over the incidents with Cory. It was as if all the tension that had been between then had been eased and although they weren't exactly friends there was some sort of companionship in their interactions together. Anything had to be an improvement on the way things had been since she had returned and Haley now felt some small sliver of hope towards what the future between them held.

"Uh Nate do you want me to leave you alone for a while to spend some time with Lucas, I could take Cory down to see Brooke?"

Nathan looked up and Haley was surprised to see the sheen of unshed tears in his eyes. A small smile of gratitude crossed his face as he nodded mutely at her. Everything inside of Haley wanted to reach out to him in that moment but she was terrified of how he would respond.

"Ok well I'll be back soon."

He didn't look at her as she left the room his attention was once again focused on Lucas lying so still in the bed. Haley saw a shudder pass through his body as he heaved a huge sigh. She swallowed the lump in her throat and moved to stand behind him gently placing a hand on his shoulder. For a moment he remained as he was and then just as she thought that she had made a mistake his hand came up to rest on hers for just a moment. Raising his gaze to meet hers he looked her in the eye, "Thanks Haley, I'll see you soon ok."

As she walked away Nathan could hardly believe what had just occurred between them. For just a moment he allowed himself to forget everything that had occurred in their past and simply accept her gesture for what it was. It was one that was given in the hopes of bringing even the smallest amount of comfort in a time when he was hurting so badly. No matter what else had happened between them no one had ever been able to read him the way that Haley could. She knew that an overblown gesture would only serve to make him uncomfortable and so had kept it simple and unobtrusive. For the first time in forever he was able to appreciate her for the caring person she had always been. Seeing Cory in her arms was hard as he imagined what it would have been like to see her with Schapelle, his eyes travelled down to the slight swelling of her stomach and he was reminded again of the fact that in just a few months he would be a father to her child. It was hard to imagine what parenthood would be like between them but he knew that no matter what he would love that child. Stirring from his thoughts he turned back to Lucas and remained quiet as he heard Haley leave the room.

"You have got to wake up man," he said quietly. "I'm so lost at the moment I can't keep my feelings straight. There are times when I think that I don't care if I never see her again and then other times I can't imagine what my life would be like if I let her get away again. I don't know if there's any future for us man but I do know that there is no way that I can miss out on knowing another one of my children and well whether I want her to be or not Haley is a part of that package. She's going to be the mother of my child. Doesn't that mean that she will always be part of my life in some form?" Nathan sighed as he looked at Lucas who remained quiet and still on the bed. "I wish you were awake to advise me about this man because I certainly need someone to talk to about it all and there is no one else at the moment who I can possibly imagine doing that with."

Haley paused outside the room hoping against hope that a miracle had occurred and Brooke would be sitting up in bed doing her nails and driving the nurses crazy with her incessant talk about all things important in the world of Brooke, the latest fashion trends, the newest movies and her favourite song of the moment. But above all she would be talking about the most important thing in the world to her, her family. She found herself holding her breath as she entered the room clasping Cory tightly to her chest. Silently she prayed that her fantasy had come true but sadly it was not to be as she found herself confronted with a Brooke who it seemed had not changed since she had seen her the day before. It was hard to believe that less than twenty four hours had passed since she had returned to Tree Hill and yet so much had happened.

Walking to the chair beside her bed she sat down doing her best to smile so that when she spoke she would hopefully be able to hide the tears that were forming already. Brooke may not be able to see her at the moment but she was determined to believe that she could at least hear her and because of this she wanted to sound as upbeat as possible. She knew this was what Brooke would want especially since she was taking care of Cory. Brooke would want Cory to be spending the first days of his life in an atmosphere of laughter not tears and Haley wanted to be able to do that for her more than anything.

"Hey Tigger, well I'm back and I brought someone with me. It's someone that you have been desperate to meet. So how about you open your eyes and say hello to your son." Haley watched her with the hope that maybe this would be the thing that could bring Brooke out of her comatose state. She knew that it was a slim hope but she couldn't restrain the feeling of hope that maybe just maybe Brooke would open her eyes for Cory. Surely if there was one thing that could get through to her then this was it. But nothing happened Brooke gave no sign that she was aware of their presence and Haley felt her hope deflate once again.

"Ok well I guess that you still need your rest. I know you'll wake up when you're ready and Cory and I will be here waiting for that moment. I miss you Tigger."

Wanting to take the conversation away from the morbid turn that it was taking she looked around. "You know Brooke I really can't believe that here I am finally back the way you have been begging me to for the last few months and you're not even awake to witness it. You accomplished just what you wanted Brooke. I'm here; Nathan and I are talking again. This is just what you wanted."

She sat with Brooke chatting away for the next half an hour telling her about everything that she could possibly think of. It was hard at times keeping up the one sided conversation but she had read somewhere that it was important to keep talking to people who were in comas. She could only hope that somehow Brooke was hearing her and understanding what she was saying.

Nathan sat by Lucas unburdening his soul. Even though he wasn't even sure if Lucas could hear him it felt good to be able to say it all and get it off his chest. "So man that's basically where things stand at the moment, I know I shouldn't be surprised by anything dad does but I never in a million years would have expected that he has known where Haley was the whole time and even knew about Schapelle. I mean what the fuck man. Here he is my father and he is helping her keep the secret of my child's birth. I just don't get it. It's like everyone in my life was just intent on keeping me in the dark well except you and Brooke," he amended quickly.

He sighed as he glanced around the bland hospital room. "We so need to get you out of here. You should not be lying here in this bed when you could be at home getting to know your son. What sort of messed up world do we live in when the two of you who have never done anything to hurt anyone have this happen to them? I thought karma was supposed to reward people who do the right thing but it sure doesn't seem like it. Take Tim for instance look what he did to Haley and now he's off living the high life of an NBA star it's just so wrong."

Standing up he started to stalk around the room hating being confined in such a small room. He felt like an idiot sitting there basically just talking to himself but he actually found it therapeutic to be able to say what he was feeling without being lectured or having his mothers lame ass attempts at counselling. Not that he had had to deal with much of that lately. He hadn't seen her in weeks until he went to her house looking for Haley that morning and he had no intention of seeing her again any time in the near future.

Hearing a soft knock at the door he looked up and saw Haley quietly standing at the entrance to the room watching him. Seeing him look up at her she smiled cautiously. "Hey Nate do you mind if we come in? I just thought it would be good for Cory to spend a bit more time around Lucas before we have to go. He's going to be in need of a bottle soon so we won't be able to hang around much longer."

"That's fine Haley I think that will be really good for Cory and with any luck for Lucas too."

"Yeah I hope so," she replied sadly.

"So how was Brooke?" he asked watching her carefully. He could see the tracks of tears still apparent on her face and knew instinctively that after leaving Brooke's room that she would have gone somewhere to have a cry. He knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't have wanted to cry in Brooke's room even though she was not awake to witness it.

"No change," she said looking at Lucas lying on the bed. "Has he woken up at all?"

"Nah," Nathan responded "I've been talking to him heaps but I don't think he has heard me at all."

"I'm sure he has," Haley said immediately struggling to deal with the look of such intense pain in his eyes.

Cory started to squirm in her arms and she rocked him gently hoping to calm him for the moment so that they could remain with Lucas for a while longer. She looked up and caught Nathan staring at them and felt a strange sensation pass through her body. There was such an intense awareness between them at the moment and Haley felt herself shudder at the look in his eyes. It was in no way sexual but it made her aware of just how well he knew her, how he had always been able to see into her soul when they were together to know how she was feeling. In some respects that was why she had found it necessary to leave town after everything that had happened both times because she knew that she wouldn't be able to be around him and still hope to keep her secrets.

The moment between them was broken as Cory no longer content just to be rocked decided to let everyone know just how hungry he was. He let out an indignant squawk before beginning to cry in earnest. Haley looked down at him. "Oh sweetie," she cooed "I promise you'll be fed soon. I just wanted to let you have some time with your daddy first."

Nathan stood up and walked to where Haley was, stopping in front of her and peering down at Cory. "Are you sure he's just hungry he sounds like he's in pain or something?"

"I'm pretty sure he's just hungry," Haley responded.

"Well maybe if I try taking him," Nathan suggested.

"You can if you want to." Haley said "But I really don't think it's going to make any difference."

Their attention was focused entirely on the squalling infant so it was only as the voice came to them from the bed that they realised that Lucas was now awake.

"What's wrong with him?" he asked. "Is there something wrong with Cory?"

Nathan and Haley turned to look at him in shock.

"Oh my God," Nathan said. "You're awake."


	42. Orange Or Grape

**A.N You guys never cease to amaze me with the amount of reviews I've been getting for this story lately and it works. This chapter definitely came about quicker because of them. So I hope its one that you really enjoy. Who knows if I can stop spending all my time on MSN I might even manage to get the next one out even quicker. Isn't that right Cathy? LOL. I just hope you're ready for some more surprises. Oh and a special mention must go to Cathy for part of this chapter. The comments about the name of Brooke's baby completely came from her. This chapter is dedicated to Kat. Hope things improve at work for you.**

**Chapter Forty**

"I still can't believe it," Nathan said, "he's finally awake and talking to us. I was starting to wonder if it was ever going to happen and he seemed good don't you think? I mean I know that he's still going to be in hospital for a while and have to have a lot of rehab and stuff but he's going to be ok. Man this is like the best news I've had in ages."

Haley smiled at him "yeah I know it's wonderful and he certainly seemed like he's on the mend. He seemed fairly with it despite everything that's happened. He was obviously still in a lot of pain but he was so happy to see Cory and even managed to hold him. Now if Brooke would just wake up then things would be just about perfect, at least with them." She said sadly.

"I know you're still worried about Brooke, Hales but after today I can't shake the feeling that everything is going to be ok."

Haley had to hide the smile that automatically came to her lips hearing him call her Hales. That was the first time he had called her that in a long time and she couldn't help but hope that maybe it meant things were going to be ok between them. She wanted to ask him if his confidence in the future extended to their possible future too but she was terrified of ruining the moment that had him in such high spirits.

"Little Cory is going to have both his parents back before we know it." Nathan continued confidently. Stopping for a moment he looked at Haley. "Hales how could you be so sure that that was the name that they wanted their son called? I mean my mom told me how Lucas told you when he woke up briefly, but he'd been unconscious for ages and he must have been pretty disoriented. I guess I just don't understand why you automatically assumed that it was the right name. Did you and Brooke ever talk about it?"

Haley looked at him and wondered what he would think of the real story "yeah we did" she said smiling sadly. The smile on her face grew as she remembered how it had all come about.

_**Flashback**_

_Haley sat at Brooke's kitchen table with her head in her hands. "Oh Brooke what am I going to do? I'm so confused. Nathan and I had such an amazing time in Barbados and it really felt like it used to between us, but then when we came back here we found Josh is here and I just don't know what to do anymore."_

"_Tutor Girl I can't believe you. How can you even be questioning what you and Nathan had and could have again in the future? He's all you've ever wanted and now you've got a second chance with him and you're throwing it all away."_

"_Tigger you don't understand Josh has really been there for me the last few years. He has been there for me totally in some really tough times. I can't just walk away from that."_

"_That's bullshit Tutor Girl and you know it." Flinching slightly she clutched her stomach and with a small smile muttered to herself "I guess Cory agrees with me."_

_Haley looked puzzled for a moment, "Who's Cory?"_

_Brooke looked at her stunned. "You weren't supposed to hear that. Promise me you won't tell Lucas that you know."_

"_Know what Tigger? Wait is that what you and Lucas are planning to call your baby? Cory." She said experimentally allowing the name to roll off her tongue. I like it. Does this mean that you two actually know that you're having a boy?"_

_Brooke smiled conspiratorially, "well technically no but I just have this feeling. Can't you just picture it in sixteen years time the captain of the Tree Hill Ravens Cory Davis-Scott?"_

_**End Flashback**_

Haley smiled at the memory, "yeah she did mention something once. But I wasn't sure if they still intended to call him that. You know Brooke she's forever changing her mind."

"To be honest," Nathan said "knowing Brooke the way I do. I'm surprised she didn't allow her love of all things celebrity to influence her decision. After Gwyneth and Chris naming their baby Apple I half expected this one to be named Orange or Grape or something."

Haley couldn't help but laugh at the idea. It did sound like a Brooke sort of thing to do although she had a feeling Lucas wouldn't have been too keen on the idea. "Well I guess that little baby should be very grateful to the higher powers that somehow he ended up with a fairly common name like Cory."

"Yeah," Nathan said with a smirk "I guess that's definitely something he should be grateful for."

They both laughed for a moment until the thought of just what that poor little baby had already had to contend with in his short life once again reared its ugly head.

"Do you think it's going to affect him Nathan?"

Nathan looked at her quizzically in response to her question.

"I mean the fact that for at least a few weeks we're going to be the ones raising him do you think it will affect the way he bonds with Brooke and Lucas? They say that the first few weeks of a baby's life are the most important in forming what sort of person they're going to be. What if we mess things up? It's a huge responsibility and I'll never forgive myself if we mess this up."

"Haley you've got to stop worrying about this stuff. Brooke and Lucas would never have chosen us to care for their child if they didn't believe that we could do it. They had faith in us and you need to do the same. All we can do is our best and I'm sure that that is all they would ever expect from us. We're doing fine Hales trust me."

Haley allowed herself to be reassured by his words knowing that he sincerely believed everything he was telling her. Nathan had never been one to say something just because he thought it would make the other person feel better, he believed in saying what he felt.

"Thanks Nathan I needed to hear that. Now I need to go do some laundry. Considering that he doesn't even eat yet he sure goes through a lot of clothes." Walking out of the kitchen where they had been talking she went through to the laundry room and set about completing the tasks that needed to be done. She was already learning that if she wanted to get anything done with a new baby in the house then she had to take advantage of every moment that he was asleep.

Hearing the doorbell ring she sighed impatiently wondering who on earth it could be. She moved quickly to answer it not wanting the repeated ringing to wake up Cory. Opening the door she was slightly surprised to see Deb standing there.

"Hello Haley, I hope you don't mind me just stopping by like this but I was really hoping that I could maybe see Cory. It's so quiet over in that big house all on my own and I could do with the company. I know that technically I'm no relation to him but I kind of feel like his grandmother." Her spiel came to an end as she saw Haley still standing in the doorway just staring at her.

"Of course its fine if you want to see him Deb, he's sleeping right now but he's due to wake up soon. I just don't understand why you would be feeling so lonely now that Dan's back. Surely you two must have been enjoying the chance to spend some time together after he'd been away for so long," Haley continued completely unaware of the fact that Dan's trip had long been exposed as not being a business trip. Looking up she saw a strange pallor to Deb's skin and immediately ushered her inside. "Deb are you ok? What's wrong? Was it something I said?" Haley asked as she silently reviewed their conversation looking for something that might have led to Deb looking that way. She could think of nothing she had said however that would cause Deb to react in that fashion. "Do you want a glass of water?"

Deb finally seemed to hear the concern in Haley's voice and focused her attention back onto the young woman in front of her. "No Haley I'm fine. It's just… Did you say Dan is back?"

Now Haley was really confused she couldn't understand how it could be that she would know this but Deb could be so clueless to her own husband's whereabouts. "Uh yeah I did. I mean he is. He came by here earlier today wanting to see Cory. You didn't know this?" she asked the question despite the fact that it was more than obvious that Deb had been completely in the dark.

"Uh no…. No I didn't. Did he uh say anything about me?"

"No," Haley said cautiously wondering what was going on. She had the horrible feeling that she was walking blindfolded through a mine field but she still didn't know why. Rushing to reassure the older woman she spoke hastily. "I'm sure he just wanted to get to the hospital as soon as he could once he heard that Lucas was awake."

Once again Deb regarded her with surprise. "Lucas is awake?" she asked clearly astounded.

Haley was getting more uncomfortable by the second there was obviously something going on here that she didn't know about and she wished Nathan would come in to the room. Maybe he would know what was going on but Nathan for some reason had not come to see who was at the door at least as far as Haley was aware. The truth was that even as they spoke Nathan was loitering in the kitchen doorway listening to every word spoken between the women.

Haley could see that Deb was making a concerted effort to compose herself and so pretended interest in the pattern of the woodwork of the coffee table giving the older woman time to gather her errant thoughts and feelings before they continued their conversation. Hearing Deb clear her throat she looked up relieved as she saw Deb once again wore the serene expression that most often adorned her face.

"So how are things going here?" Deb asked inquisitively looking around the room although for what Haley couldn't be sure.

"Everything's been fine," she said. "It's taken a bit of getting used to looking after a newborn but I think we're doing ok."

Deb had been watching Haley as she spoke. "So Nathan is here with you?"

"Yeah," Haley responded "he's around here somewhere."

"And it's going ok, with you two I mean?" Deb asked.

"It's not perfect but we're making the best of it. I just have to hope that someday we might be able to move past all the pain of the past if for no other reason then for the sake of this baby."

"So you are pregnant again?" Deb asked "I wondered the other day when you were at my house and I saw you rubbing your stomach at one stage. You looked to be really deep in thought. Well maybe this will be just what the two of you need to bring you closer together again."

"I hope so," Haley said wistfully.

Nathan listened to their words and was overcome with doubts about the way he'd been treating Haley. She was carrying his child and by the sounds of it she did still love him. Shaking his head he pushed those thoughts aside it didn't matter if she still loved him the fact of the matter was she had lied to him on numerous occasions and he had no way of knowing that if she felt she was being backed into a corner that she wouldn't do it again.

Not wanting to hear anymore of what was being said between the two women he started to turn away but was halted by the sound of the doorbell yet again. "Man its like Grand Central Station around here today." He muttered.

Haley stood and walked to the door. Opening it up she was once again shocked by the presence of the person on the other side of it. "Karen, oh my God I thought you were in Italy. Lucas said you and Keith were having an extended honeymoon."

She could hardly believe her eyes as another figure moved to stand behind Karen placing a loving arm around her waist. "Yeah well why would she settle for the substitute when she could have the real thing?"

Karen blushed slightly. "Dan," she admonished him but there was an underlying note of amusement in her voice.

Haley could hear Deb's footsteps as she approached from the living room and felt as if she was watching a train wreck just waiting to happen but powerless to do anything to prevent it.

She heard the gasp of shock behind her as Deb was confronted with the sight of her husband with his arms wrapped knowingly around his former love's waist.

Karen winced as she saw Deb's face and tried to move out of Dan's grasp but she was too late as Deb whirled around and ran towards the kitchen a shriek of despair echoing from her lips.

Haley looked at the two still standing in the doorway. Dan was as usual giving away little of his true thoughts but she could see that Karen was obviously distressed by the way things had just gone. Before Haley could speak though another voice entered the fray from behind her and she closed her mouth allowing Nathan to address his father.

"Wow Dad you really know how to kick someone when they're down don't you? Nice work dad. Really nice."


	43. Miaow

**Chapter Forty-one**

Haley turned to run after Deb and Nathan stood barricading the door with his body. "What the hell are you two doing here? I seem to remember telling you that you weren't welcome here only a few hours ago." He said derisively looking at Dan as if he was something he'd scraped off the bottom of his shoe. At that moment all of the angst that had been rearing its ugly head between him and Deb was at least temporarily forgotten. His mother was hurting and the man standing before him who he laughingly called his father was the one causing her pain.

"Deb," Haley called after her, "Deb please just sit down and talk to me." But Deb was beyond hearing Haley's words. She paced from one end of the kitchen to the other muttering to herself as she did, tears flowing down her cheeks. Stopping suddenly she turned to Haley.

"How could he do this to me Haley? I mean I better than anyone know what he's like and I never saw this coming. You have no idea the things that I've had to put up with from him over the years and to have him then turn around and do this. He didn't even try to hide it. Hah hide it he was practically flaunting it. How is this supposed to make me feel? Did he ever care about me at all?"

"Of course he did Deb and I think he still does." A new voice entered the conversation and Haley turned to look at Karen in stunned amazement.

"No," Deb said vehemently, "No you cannot come in here and tell me that after what I just saw. You were standing there with my husband's arms around you and now you come in here to try to talk to me. What the hell is your deal Karen?"

"Um perhaps," Haley tried to interrupt but both women rounded on her.

"Haley this really has nothing to do with you." Karen said harshly. "Deb and I need to talk this out without any interference from you or anyone else."

Haley looked towards Deb not wanting to leave unless she got the go ahead from her. Deb nodded silently "Somehow I doubt that I'll agree with one other thing she has to say for herself but she is right about that? We do need to talk and we need to do it alone."

"If you're sure that's what you want Deb. Um I guess I'll be upstairs with Cory if you need anything." Watching Deb anxiously she backed out of the room before turning to go upstairs.

"So," Deb said turning back to face Karen "what is it you possibly think you can say to me that is going to make a difference to this situation."

"Deb I know you're upset but I really think if you just listen…"

"You know what Karen I really don't care what you think. You turn up back here with my husband and I'm supposed to sit here and be all civil and hear you out as you explain to me just how it occurred. Well excuse me if I don't really want to hear this. Actually you know what I do want to hear this. I want to hear how you can possibly justify this whole scenario how you as a married woman suddenly appear on the arm of my very much married husband."

"Dan and I have a lot of history, Deb you know that."

"So what that's supposed to justify this, this abomination." Deb practically screeched.

"You know Deb," Karen said her anger beginning to get the better of her normally calm demeanour "this is not all about me. You have to take some sort of responsibility for this too."

"Me, oh you do not get to pin this on me. You're not going to try and tell me that this is somehow my fault. I did everything for that man and what did I get in return. I got a pig headed arrogant bull of a man but you know what that doesn't matter because the simple fact is that he was mine and you just didn't care enough aboutit to even give that a thought. Twenty-three years of marriage we had and you just completely destroyed that and for what Karen. What is this, some misguided attempt to recapture your youth? Well sorry to say honey but that ain't going to happen."

Karen looked shocked for a moment as the normally unflappable Deb worked herself up into a rage like she had never seen before. Speaking quietly in the face of Deb's hysterics she looked at her with a glint of her own anger in her eyes. "Well how does it feel Deb? Did it ever occur to you that this is just what you did to me all those years ago? Dan and I may not have been married legally but we were in every way that counted. Admittedly he was struggling to deal with the idea of fatherhood at our age and the possibility of saying goodbye to his basketball career but that's just what women like you were waiting for. Women like you wait for men who are at a low point and confused then you swoop in. Using your feminine wiles to try and lure them away."

"Did it ever occur to you," Deb said "that I wouldn't have been able to take him away from you unless there was something seriously wrong in your relationship already?"

"Yeah well look who's talking." Karen said furiously.

"Oh you did not just say that to me," Deb said advancing towards Karen threateningly.

The two women faced off with barely five inches separating their faces. "If you're going to be honest with yourself Deb than you would have to admit the truth of this situation, the only reason you and Dan ever got married was because you got pregnant with Nathan and trapped him, plus I guess you had the lure of Daddy's money to help seal the deal didn't you."

Deb looked away as if she wasn't going to respond and Karen smiled a small victorious smile which was almost instantly wiped off by the stinging slap delivered to her face.

"Get out," Deb screamed. "You get the hell out of here right now."

Karen recovered quickly from the slap and stared at her with a self satisfied smile. "Actually Deb you're the one who should be leaving. My son and his wife not to mention _my _grandson live here, whereas you are totally obsolete in this little scenario."

"Actually," came Nathan's voice from somewhere behind them. "Haley and I are the ones staying here at the request of Lucas and Brooke so the way I see it we're the ones who should get to decide who stays and who goes and believe me it sure as hell ain't going to be you." He told Karen harshly "so why don't you get out of here and take your boyfriend with you."

"I'm not going anywhere," Karen replied haughtily "do you really think that Lucas would want you to do this, order his parents to leave his house. Now I'm here to see my grandson and I'm not going anywhere until I do."

"Guess again," came his rejoinder "now do you need some help to find the door or can you do that on your own?"

"Do you have any idea how upset Lucas is going to be about this?" Karen tried one last time. "He would want me to be here and he is going to be extremely distressed when he hears about it."

"You are not going to tell Lucas anything about this. In case you haven't noticed he has a lot on his plate right now trying to deal with recuperating from a fairly serious accident. Not to mention the fact that his wife is in a coma.The last thing he needs is to hear you whinging about how unfairly you've been treated."

For a moment Karen appeared as if she was going to continue the argument but then thought better of it.

"Nathan I can understand why you feel the need to defend your mother but what you both have to understand is that Dan was and always will be the only man I love. We've been lucky enough to be given a second chance now I'm sorry that means having to hurt you and your mother but surely you better than anyone can understand why I want this to work and am not going to let anything get in my way."

Nathan stared at her in disbelief. Was she serious? Did she really think that there were similarities between her situation with Dan and his own with Haley? He wanted to tell her that she was completely nuts but the words wouldn't form. No matter how much he wanted to he couldn't refute the truth in her words. Somewhere in the background he heard a strange buzzing sound and for a moment stopped to wonder about it before he noticed the two women still watching him expectantly. He could see Karen was watching him with the hope in her eyes that he might see things from her side and Deb obviously hoping that he would follow through on his threat to throw Karen out of the house.

Before he could act though Dan strolled into the kitchen with Cory in his arms as if it were the most natural thing in the world and to him it seemed it was. Nathan however was not moved by the sight of grandfather and child and glared at him acrimoniously. Moving past him quickly he headed to the doorway. "Haley," he bellowed. "Haley."

Dan looked at him smugly "I think you'll find she went to finish the laundry."

At that moment Haley came bustling in with an armful of washing. "What," she said breathlessly. "What's wrong?" she asked before her gaze fell on Dan. "What are you doing with him? I just left him upstairs for a moment while I went to do the laundry."

"Yes I know," Dan said smugly "but I couldn't leave this poor little guy up there all on his own."

Haley turned to Nathan seeing the look of cold fury cross his eyes. "Nathan I promise I only left him alone for a moment. I had no idea that Dan was planning to go up there. In fact I didn't even know he was still here."

Karen had moved over to stand by Dan stroking a finger gently over Cory's cheek. "Oh Dan look at him, he's so beautiful, our first grandchild. She said with a touch of awe."

Haley heard Deb choke back a sob at the sound of her words and looked sympathetically at her. She knew how close Deb had gotten to Lucas and Brooke over the last couple of years especially since Karen had been gone in the last eight monthsand she knew it must be killing her to have it so blatantly thrust in her face that this child that she had so eagerly looked forward to was now being kept from her. She tried to send her a reassuring smile but she knew it wasn't enough to even partially soothe the ache that was present in her heart at that moment.

Nathan's attention was on Haley as he watched her trying so hard to make his mother feel even slightly better. "Haley I know that this wasn't your fault. I don't think anyone could possibly have any control over what he does." He said without looking at his father. "Now if you'll just hand Cory over I'm sure the two of you have an elsewhere to be."

"No actually," Dan began but Nathan cut him off "Well then find one."

Karen looked at Dan "perhaps we should go," she said with her hand resting on his sleeve. "I'd really like to get back to see Lucas tonight."

Dan looked at her clearly wanting to argue but she looked at him almost pleadingly and he sighed and handed Cory back to Nathan. "We'd better get going but we'll be sure to come back and visit this little guy soon." He told them.

Nathan grimaced at the thought but said nothing.

Dan smirked at them all before wrapping an arm around Karen's shoulders. "Bye Nathan, goodbye Haley," he barely glanced in Deb's direction as he threw a sardonic "Deb," back over his shoulder in her general direction and with that they both left.

Haley looked at Nathan and Deb who now standing awkwardly together barely were looking in the other one's direction. "Um well I think this little guy is probably in need of a nappy change," Haley said uncomfortably taking Cory from Nathan. "We'll be back soon," she said walking out of the room.

"Nathan I just want to say thank-you so much for the way you defended me. It ah really meant a lot."

Nathan looked at his feet shuffling them nervously. "Look mom I know there's been a lot of drama between us lately and I'm not sure that I'm totally past it. I mean you kept the news that Haley was calling you from me when you knew how worried I was."

"Nathan you'll never know how sorry…"

Nathan held up his hand indicating that he did not want to hear Deb's apology. "I know you're sorry Mom, you've told me plenty of times, I still don't know why you did it and I'm not sure how long it will take me to be able to completely forgive you for it, but I couldn't let Karen speak to you like that. You had done nothing to deserve it. I guess what I'm trying to say is you shouldn't read too much into my actions today. I just did what anyone would do."

Deb nodded solemnly but inside she felt a flutter of joy. Nathan may not be totally ready to forgive her yet but at least now she felt as if they were on the right track. Now if she could just get Nathan to forgive Haley maybe things would be on the way to normal.


	44. A Love That Never Stopped

**A.N Sorry its taken me a while to get another chapter up its been one of those weeks that I'd rather forget but finally I got it done and here it is. I just want to say a special thankyou to Jess and to my wall Cathy. LOL. Hope everyone enjoys this and it explains some of the connundrums that the last chapter left some of you with. I'll do my best to write another one in the very near future but I've got no guarantees that my hellish week is definitely over yet. Can't wait to hear what you all think.**

**Chapter Forty-two**

Lucas lay quietly in his hospital bed. He'd been asleep most of the day but for some reason he was still exhausted. This recuperating thing was really taking it out of him and so his eyes remained closed and to the outside world it appeared that he was still sleeping. He heard a noise inside his room and assumed it was one of the nurses coming in yet again to check up on him. He was so tired of the way the younger ones fawned over him and the older ones looked at him with pity. If he had one more offer of a sponge bath from some pretty young nurse he was going to go insane. He knew that some may find his attitude at the moment hard to understand but even with the older staff, the ones who respected the fact that he was a married man with a newborn son he struggled to stave off his impatience. But the look of sympathy constantly present on their face was getting on his nerves and so his eyes remained closed hoping that whoever it was this time would simply assume that he was asleep and leave him to his thoughts once again.

Haley and Nathan had been by earlier with Cory and at the moment they were the only people he really wanted to see. Well providing you took Brooke out of the equation anyway. There was nothing he wouldn't give to open his eyes and find her standing in front of him smiling at him with her dimples on full display but he knew that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Thinking about it some more he realised that there were other people he wouldn't mind seeing. He couldn't understand why Deb had not been by since he had woken up he had honestly expected her to be the one of the first and most regular visitors he had. One of the nurses had informed him that an older woman had been by to see him earlier in the day but had left when she saw that he was sleeping. He wished she would have stayed. He could do with Deb's calming influence right now. If he couldn't have his own mother here, and that was highly unlikely since her and Keith were to the best of his knowledge still in Tuscany, then Deb was definitely the next best option.

He heard a sigh from beside his bedside and ascertained that it was one of the staff though whether it was one of the young ones sighing with sexual frustration or one of the older ones sighing with pity he had no inclination to find out. A hand gently stroked over his forehead and he had to work hard to keep his expression neutral. This was just great obviously one of the nurses was in here hoping against hope that he would open his eyes and tell her that she was just what he had been looking for all his life and to hell with his comatose wife.

The hand slowly removed itself from his forehead and he listened for the sound of retreating footsteps but instead heard the low hum of voices, voices that he instantly recognised. "Karen honey, he's going to be just fine. He's a fighter just like me. Have you ever seen anything stop me?"

Lucas lay there in shock listening avidly to this exchange surely he couldn't be hearing this right. Then he heard the sound of his mother's laughter and didn't know what to think. Surreptitiously he peeked out from under his eyelashes vaguely making out the shapes of his mother and his father from across the room. They were standing close, a lot closer than Lucas would ever have expected to see.

Karen's voice sounded again and Lucas strained to make out every word that she was saying. "No Dan I've never seen anything that can stop you from getting what you want. Why do you think I love you so much?"

This was more than Lucas could bear and his eyes flew open just in time to see his father leaning down to place a loving kiss on the lips of his mother. He blinked trying to focus his eyes not able to believe the sight before him. He briefly considered the possibility that he had slid back into an unconscious state and this was all just some weird ass dream but he knew in his heart that what he saw before him was real. It was real and it was wrong. He cleared his throat loudly and fixed his eyes on them in a death-like stare. "Do you want to tell me just what the hell is going on here?"

Karen turned to look at him first her eyes registering surprise before she quickly masked it. Moving towards him she smiled genuinely pleased to see him. "Lucas honey I'm so happy to see you awake."

He submitted to her hug only because he had no choice but made no effort to return it. He cut his eyes to Dan and for the first time that he could ever remember he found his father looking uncomfortable. Dan stood shuffling from one foot to another nervously before he saw Lucas' attention trained on him and forced the normally confident smirk back to his face.

Neither Dan nor Karen made any move to answer his question and he glared between the two of them. "I'm glad to see you're back with us son, very glad," Dan told him.

"Yeah you're glad I'm back but so what. That is not what I asked so why don't you answer my damn question."

Karen began to look uncomfortable. "Lucas honey, do you really want to discuss this now?"

"You better believe it," he answered with more than a trace of anger.

"Lucas," Dan said warningly "this isn't the time."

"Well it seems to me that it is," Lucas responded "I mean it was obviously the time for the two of you to forget about your marriages to other people and start screwing around."

"Lucas," Karen said with shock "Do you really think I would be here if this was just a chance to screw around as you put it? Surely you don't believe that myself or your father would put Keith and Deb through this unless we were certain that it was something that was going to last."

"Yeah well speaking of them how are your spouses?" Lucas spat at them venomously.

"That's enough," Dan roared causing a pair of nurses who were passing by to jump in surprise. They glanced nervously into the room but after meeting the eyes of Dan Scott they quickly hurried on.

Karen intervened swiftly her own happiness at being with Dan was in danger of being destroyed unless she could make her son understand. "Lucas please try to understand."

"Understand what Mom? What exactly is it that you're hoping I can understand? Do you want me to understand how after all these years of being treated like dirt by him you all of a sudden decide that you love him? Or is it…"

Karen cut in then "There was no decision Lucas I always knew it I just didn't want to admit it. I never stopped loving your father. I know we've had some tough times and there were times when I tried to convince myself that I actually hated him but somehow I just couldn't do it."

Lucas looked at her in disgust "then what the hell was it all about Mom? All those times you begged me to stay away from him. Why did you do it mom, if you were still in love with him?"

"I guess I was just scared," Karen admitted quietly.

Dan moved to stand behind Karen resting a hand on her shoulder. It was a small gesture but Lucas could see how much it meant to her. He hated this, for as long as he could remember he had wanted to see his Mom happy and he thought that day had finally come when he had received the phone call from them in Italy telling him that they had eloped. He thought that maybe just maybe their chance had finally come. That was why when they had said they were going to stay on in Italy for an extended period of time he had been full of encouragement. He had hoped that being away from the drama of Tree Hill they would have a chance but it seemed that the biggest obstacle to their happiness had followed them and he had succeeded in driving them apart.

"Mom you know I want you to be happy but I just don't understand why you couldn't find that happiness with Keith. You married him you must love him." His tone now held a trace of desperation and Karen could feel tears welling in her eyes as she looked at the despair on her son's face.

"I guess I did love him but it wasn't in the way that you should love someone that you intend to spend your life with. Keith was and will always be very special to me but he should have only ever been a friend to me. I was fooling myself into believing that we could ever be anything more. For the first few weeks after we married I tried to pretend even to myself that I was happy and it was what I wanted but I just couldn't do it."

Lucas turned to look at his father coldly "and let me guess that's when you swooped in and destroyed things for them. What was it Dad you just couldn't stand to see someone else making her happy or was it just because it was Keith? Let's face it there hasn't exactly been any love lost between the two of you for a long time hell practically my whole life the two of you have been at loggerheads. So was that it Dad was it just because it was Keith?"

Dan spoke for only the third time since he had entered the room. His voice was low but it was clear that he meant every word. He spoke with a conviction that Lucas had rarely heard before from anyone and any words of argument died on his lips as he listened to his father speak.

"It was nothing like that Lucas. The only reason I went there at all was…" he paused looking to Karen for permission to continue. She nodded at him and he continued where he left off "the only reason," he said again "was because your mother called me one night. She asked me to come to her Lucas."

Lucas looked between the two of them incredulously. "Why would you do that Mom?"

Karen shrugged her shoulders lightly. "I was miserable Lucas and there seemed to be nothing that I could do to get myself out of the depression that I was falling into. Keith and I were fighting almost constantly and one night after a particularly bad fight I went to the bar and I started drinking and I just got this idea in my head that I had to speak to your father. I tried to ignore it but it wouldn't go away. So I called him Lucas and I told him everything. I told him exactly how miserable I was and somehow I just found myself opening up to him Lucas. It was such a relief to have someone to talk, someone who understood me. I hadn't had that since before you were born Lucas."

Although she didn't say it the implication was clear no one in her life had ever understood her the way Dan had. Silently Lucas absorbed the information trying to process it but he was filled with too many conflicting emotions at that moment to be able to understand it all.

"But surely the two of you had to know this was wrong? You're both married to other people. How could you do this to them?"

"That's what I'd like to know," a new voice said from the door. All three heads turned towards the voice.

"Keith," Lucas said in a tone of disbelief.


	45. Playtime

**A.N I'm back. The week from hell has continued and if anything has actually gotten worse but hey shit happens. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. I have a sneaking suspicion you will. Especially if Jess' comments are anything to go by when she read it a few minutes ago. Now I do have to let you know that there is an adult warning for this chapter so if for any reason you are uncomfortable reading anything of a sexual nature I would advise you to skip this chapter. I'm sure now that I've said that though its only going to make you all even more keen to read it. LOL. What can I say this chapter started off with me only going to have them kiss and things kind of escalated. Anyway enjoy and hopefully you'll all leave me lots of nice long reviews.**

**Chapter Forty-three**

Nathan stood watching Haley from the doorway, relishing the fact that she was unaware of his presence. She sat on the sofa crooning softly to the infant in her arms. They had been caring for Cory for about two weeks now and while it still stung at times seeing her with a baby in her arms he was slowly becoming accustomed to the sight. He couldn't help though but be reminded of what or more to the point who was missing from this scenario. Schapelle would have been four years old by now and for the past weeks he had been plagued with images of an active little girl with his dark hair and Haley's sparkling eyes. Those eyes like Haley's would have been brown with flecks of gold surrounded by impossibly long lashes. In his mind he knew that she would have had her mother's inquisitive nature and insatiable curiosity about life but most often the image of her that he had in his mind came complete with a mischievous smirk which she would have undoubtedly inherited from him.

On some occasions those thoughts would bring a wistful smile to his face but more often than not they produced a pang that echoed deep within his soul and it was those times that he seriously questioned what he was doing here at all. Why did he put himself through this agony? Yet for some reason he was unable to drag himself away. At first he had told himself that he was only in the house with Haley for Cory and to fulfil the wishes of his brother and sister-in-law but although he could not put his finger on the precise moment that it had happened he knew something within him had changed. There had been a gradual softening of his attitude towards Haley.

Maybe it came about from seeing Haley with Cory, maybe the knowledge that she was once again carrying his child but he knew there was no other place he would choose to be right now. No matter how hard it was and how much had happened in their past the simple fact was that in just a few months they were going to be parents and he was determined not to miss a single moment of it. He wasn't kidding himself he knew the chances that things could ever get back to what they had once been between them were slim but he also knew that they had to make an effort for the sake of their child. If nothing else they would be friends.

As he watched Cory waving his arms around he saw his tiny fist slip inside the top of her shirt exposing the creamy flesh of her breast and his breath caught in his throat. He felt a rush of blood go straight to his groin as he heard her gentle laugh and watched as she disentangled his hand from the material of her shirt. Moving to stand she bent placing Cory on a rug on the floor and moved a mobile over him smiling down at him as his eyes fastened on the brightly coloured farm animals dangling above him. Nathan wanted nothing more than to walk into that room at that moment and join her, share in the obvious joy she felt watching the child but he couldn't force his feet to move.

He wondered sadly if this was how it would be with their child. Would he feel this sense of isolation, of being cut off from what was happening? She straightened then a protective hand covering her bulging stomach and for a moment a flash of concern appeared in her eyes before being replaced by a smile of such wonder that for a moment it paralysed him. Then almost as if his feet had a mind of their own he was walking into the room, going to stand in front of her. She looked momentarily shocked to see him and then without a single word she reached out to take his hand in hers bringing it to rest against her stomach. He stared at her stunned wondering what had led her to such a bold movement after so long with no contact between them and then he felt it, the slightest little flutter of movement against his hand.

"Whoa," he said his eyes fixing on her in stunned amazement "is that what I think it is?"

She smiled at him gently "I don't know Nathan what do you think it is?"

"Is that our baby?" he asked almost timidly.

Haley had never in her life heard him sound timid and she really didn't know what to make of it now.

She looked up at him and found his eyes staring down into hers. It was such a strange sensation to be standing so close to him once again, when just weeks ago she hadn't even been sure if they would ever be in the same room together again. She couldn't drag her gaze away from his eyes that were boring down into hers. They were such an intense blue at that moment and she felt as if she was drowning in them. She could feel the warmth of his palm through the thin material of her shirt as his hand continued to rest against her stomach. The baby had ceased its movements but Nathan's hand had remained where it was his fingers moving rhythmically against her.The feel of her warm flesh through the thin barrier of clothing was almost more than he could bare and he briefly considered jerking his hand away from her while he still had some sort of control over his senses however minor that control was, but still his hand remained.She could feel her shirt beginning to ride up with the incessant stroking motion and then came the scrape of his warm fingers against her flesh and she felt herself gasp. God what was he doing to her. He dipped his head down to speak huskily in her ear.

"You feel so good."

Her breath caught in her throat and still she continued to stare at him wordlessly. Once again he ducked his head this time bringing his mouth to her neck in a light kiss. She grabbed onto his other arm for support as a shudder passed through her and she looked up to see the smallest of smirks on his lips and knew that he was completely aware of the effect he was having on her.

Struggling for rational thought she decided that it was time to give him a taste of his own medicine. Lightly she trailed her fingers up his arm before removing her hand and bringing it to the hem of his shirt, sliding her fingers under it she traced the waistband of his jeans and was rewarded with the sound of his sharp intake of breath and a low moan spilling forth from his lips. A smile of feminine pride graced her lips as she revelled in the effect she could still have on him. Looking up at him she could see the way he was watching her mouth and she bit her bottom lip nervously, his eyes darkened at her unconscious movement before he bent his head capturing her lips with his own and tracing the outline of her lips with his tongue silently begging for entrance. She parted them obligingly and he sucked gently on her injured lower lip for a moment before taking advantage of the access to her mouth that he had been granted. His tongue entered her mouth feverishly clashing with hers in an erotic dance. He heard the groan low in her throat and removing his hand from her stomach wrapped his arm around her pulling her in closer to his body, wanting to feel every curve of her body pressed up against him as closely as possible.

Bringing both hands down to her ass he cupped it gently before lifting her slightly so she was pressed more intimately against him. Raising one leg she hooked it around the back of his thighs wanting to feel him even closer against her. She could feel the evidence of his arousal pulsating against her and it only served to excite her more. Her hands roamed his back underneath his shirt unable to get enough of the feel of his heated skin against her fingertips. Pulling back from her slightly he pulled his shirt over his head and immediately felt her mouth on his chest placing open mouthed kisses to his skin. He lifted her up so that both of her legs were now wrapped around his waist and made his way to the sofa, lying on top of her. One hand came around to her thigh sliding underneath her skirt and tracing tantalising patterns on her upper leg gradually making his way higher until he felt the silky material of her panties.He slid a finger underneath the material and groaned.

"Oh you're so wet."

She pushed herself against his hand wanting him to further the contact, wanting to feel a part of him inside of her. Obligingly he rubbed his finger against her feeling her writhe in pleasure beneath him. His finger moved to her entrance pausing for a moment as he stroked at the folds of flesh encasing her. He could feel his erection growing with every second and it was becoming almost uncomfortable for his lower half to remain clothed. As if sensing his discomfort Haley's small hands eagerly tugged at the zipper of his pants feverishly pulling them from his body.

"Whoa," he said the voice of rationality finally filtering through to his senses, "hold on I don't have anything to use."

She laughed up at him wickedly "What are you worried about Nathan? Scared I might get pregnant."

He smiled at her before bending his head to once again capture her lips in a soul destroying kiss.

She felt him moving above her positioning himself to enter her and held her breath in anticipation. Looking up at him she put a gentle hand up to his face wanting him to look at her as he entered. She wanted them to be connected not only physically but mentally and emotionally as well as he placed himself inside of her. He stared deeply into her eyes and she smiled encouragingly not sure she could wait another moment. She could feel him poised at her entrance and thrust herself slightly against him insistently wanting him right then.

"Nathan please," she begged, "I want you now. I need you."

The shrill ringing of the telephone jolted them from their moment as Nathan glared at the offending piece of technology. Haley started trying to get up but he pushed her back.

"Ignore it," he commanded her "the machine can get it."

"I can't Nathan what if it's Brooke? What if something's happened?"

He stared at her for a moment before rolling off her disappointment in having their moment interrupted blatantly displayed on his face. Reaching for the phone he hit the button that would allow him to answer.

"Yeah," he barked. "What do you want?" He listened for a moment then responded with a curt "We'll be there." Looking over at Haley who had sat up from her position on the couch and resituated her clothes he grimaced. "Lucas is being released tomorrow. They want us to pick him up."

"Oh," Haley said trying to focus on his words but all of her attention was focused on his mouth as he spoke.

Looking at the phone in his hand he sighed. "Probably just as well this rang when it did or who knows what we might have done." He walked away from her unable to remain standing there with her looking at him the way she was. He knew if she kept looking at him like that then he would be unable to take any responsibility for his actions. Entering the kitchen he stood at the bench his hands planted firmly on the counter breathing hard.

Haley stood up from the couch glancing down at Cory as she remembered his presence in the room. He had fallen asleep on the rug and she smiled down at him. "Cory Angel it's probably just as well you were asleep for that. Now can you do me a little favour and just remain asleep just a little longer?" Smiling to herself she walked to the kitchen where Nathan stood with his back to her. She could see the effort he was going through to try and regain control and felt a sense of pride that she could render him so defenceless to the cravings of his own body. This attraction between them had always been so strong it was like lightening rods unable to stay away from each other. She had seen the look in his eyes after the phone call and knew that he had wanted nothing more than to rejoin her on the couch but he was fighting it.

She smiled impishly just because he wasn't completely ready to go there again just yet that didn't mean that she couldn't have her fun. Silently she walked up behind him resting a hand on his naked back. He had wasted as little time as possible redressing and wore only a pair of jeans riding low on his hips still partially unbuttoned. He jerked at her touch turning to look at her. Still wearing the smile she traced her hand around his upper body before taking him by surprise and sliding her hand down inside his jeans stroking him gently. He jolted in shock but before he could gather himself she was gone walking out of the kitchen humming lightly to herself. He started to go after her and then heard the sound of Cory soft wails and knew that the moment had been lost.

Picking up Cory from the floor she smiled down at him. "Your uncle Nate isn't going to be able to resist much longer Cory but I'm going to have some fun playing with him in the meantime."


	46. Reality Sets In

**A.N Well here's the latest chapter. I hope you all enjoy it. Reviews have dropped off a bit for the last few chapters so hope to see some more this chapter to give me incentive to keep writing.**

**Chapter Forty-four**

The day had finally come that Lucas was to be released from hospital. He was not entirely healed of course and would need significant rest in order for his ribs to heal not to mention the physiotherapy that would be required on his fractured leg. But the truth was he didn't care all he cared about at that moment was that he would finally be getting out of this hell hole and get to go home to his baby. Not that he wouldn't still be spending most of his time at the hospital anyway between going there for his physiotherapy sessions and visiting Brooke he knew he would be a regular visitor for at least a while longer. But at least he would no longer be there as a patient. Best of all he would no longer have to eat their food. It was well past time for him to be home in his own house as far as he was concerned. He had tried to convince the doctors' that he was well enough to go home a week ago but they had been having none of that. When he tried to argue they simply reminded him that his brother and Haley had more than enough on their plate at the moment without having to deal with an invalid also. He had given in at that point knowing that they spoke the truth. There was no doubt he would still require a significant amount of help from the two of them for a while longer but at least now he had regained some of his strength.

He sat on the bed impatiently waiting for Nathan and Haley to arrive to take him home. He could hardly wait to be back in his own bed. He sobered at the thought as he realised that this would be the first time that he had ever spent more than a night in that bed without Brooke. It was killing him knowing that she was lying in that room hooked up to so many machines and seemingly oblivious to his presence when he went to visit her. He couldn't count the amount of times he had sat with her in the past week alone holding her hand and begging her to wake up or to at least somehow let him know that she could hear him. But it hadn't happened and his heart had sunk every time he left the room.

Things were so crazy right now and he wanted nothing more than to be able to share what had been occurring with his wife. Grimacing he remembered the scene that had played out less than two weeks ago in this very room between his parents and his uncle. When Keith had turned up Lucas had been shocked to see him but also partially relieved to know that he was ok at least physically. But Lucas had been able to see the pain emanating from the older man's eyes every time he had looked in Karen's direction and it had torn him apart inside. He had seen his mother's discomfort with the situation and had felt like lashing out at her but knew it wouldn't accomplish anything good. The situation had been volatile enough without him adding to it. Dan standing in the corner with his arm around Karen and that ever present smirk gracing his lips as he regarded his brother was without doubt making a bad situation worse and Lucas had felt powerless to do anything about it. But as he watched his mother with Dan he had been overcome with a sense of things perhaps being the way they should have always been. It was horrible that Keith and Deb had ended up being so hurt by everything that had occurred but perhaps it was all for the best in the long run. As he looked at his parents he was struck by how happy they appeared and could not ever remember another time in his life where he had seen either of them looking so content and peaceful.

Keith had remained at the hospital for a while supposedly with the intent of visiting Lucas but very little of his attention had been focused on his young nephew and instead he had stood glowering at his brother and the woman that he himself had married mere months before. Finally Lucas had had enough of the tension in the room and had asked them all to leave citing tiredness as a reason but in reality he had just wanted to forget about the problems of the elder members of his family. He had more than enough going on in his own life without adding their dramas into it and so he had asked them to leave and since then the visits had been very few and far between. The few occasions that they had come to visit they had come separately and the visits had been brief and uncomfortable.

Shaking his head to clear it of these thoughts he looked towards the door once more hoping to see Nathan and Haley but still they had not arrived. He was growing more impatient by the second; he just wanted to go home to his house and try to pretend that the last few weeks had just been some horrible dream. As much as he wanted to believe that maybe it was possible he knew instinctively that it wasn't. He didn't even know why he was acting this way. All his life he had faced life's obstacles head on and now when confronted with perhaps the biggest obstacle ever all he wanted to do was run away and bury his head in the sand and wait for it all to be over. The thought crossed his mind that Brooke would be disappointed in him if she knew the way he was thinking right now and silently he berated himself. He could not let her down now. Looking up once more he saw that there was still no sign of Nathan and Haley and impatiently reached for the buzzer that would call a nurse.

Twenty minutes later he sat at her bedside her hand held gently in his, his thumb rubbing softly back and forth over the almost translucent skin of her hand. He doubted there was a single person in his life who could possibly understand just how scared he was at that moment. How terrified he had been ever since he had woken up and been given the devastating news that Brooke was in a coma and her prognosis was uncertain. He knew that Nathan had done his best to be understanding and to provide a shoulder for him to lean on but the truth was he couldn't discuss his real feelings with Nathan. Sure he could talk about how he wanted Brooke to wake up but he couldn't tell him how guilty he felt for taking her out on that dark and rainy night. The police had been by and told him that as far as the legalities were concerned he held no responsibility for Brooke's condition but that had done little to lessen his own sense of culpability. The constant string of 'What ifs' had been plaguing him for days and seeing Brooke lying in that bed it was all he could do not to turn tail and get the hell out of there. 'What if he had made her wait till morning to see Deb?' 'What if he had refused to drive anywhere while she was not wearing a seatbelt?' But the biggest 'What if' that had been keeping him awake at nights was the 'What if he never got the chance again to tell her how much he loved her?' It was only through sheer force of will that he remained by her bed for at least two hours each day and dragged himself back there again the next day. Perhaps partially it was the guilt that led him there so frequently but more than anything it was the incredible love he felt for the woman lying so deathly still in her bed.

Hearing a noise behind him he turned to see Haley and Nathan standing unsurely in the doorway. Using every ounce of strength he possessed he forced a smile to his lips that served to invite them into the room. He watched as Nathan wheeled Cory's pram up beside the bed, Haley close beside him. Peering in he felt the first genuine smile he had worn all day come to his lips as he looked at his son. He reached a hand out towards him and grimaced at the pain shooting through his chest from his injured ribs.

Haley moved into action instantly deliberately brushing up against Nathan as she walked to the side of the pram not by the bed and bent to get Cory. She heard Nathan's sharp intake of breath as her ass brushed up against his leg but acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Picking up Cory she handed him to Lucas allowing him to cradle his son in his one good arm. Lucas looked between her and Nathan strangely for a moment before turning his attention to his son.

"Wow Cory, look at you. You look bigger every time I see you I guess your Uncle Nate and Aunt Haley have been taking good care of you huh? I just wish your mommy would wake up and see you now. She was looking forward to meeting you so much but I promise you that very soon the two of you are going to be getting to know each other. She loves you so much Cory." His face fell for a moment as he wondered whether he could truly keep the promise he was making to his son but he had to believe that the words he had spoken were the truth. Without them he had little to hold onto. The hope that Brooke would soon wake up was the only thing that was standing between him and a serious breakdown at the moment.

Looking up from his son he glanced towards Nathan and Haley noticing the way she stood close to him her hand gently resting on his arm. Lucas could see the tension in his brother and wondered about it. Resolving to speak to him about it later he broke the silence in the room. "Would you guys mind giving me and Cory some time alone with Brooke? I know it sounds stupid what with Brooke being in a coma and all but I would just really like to have some time just the three of us, as a family." Nathan looked quizzically at him and for a moment Lucas thought he might refuse but then Haley took his hand in hers and led him out of the room.

As soon as they were out of the room Nathan jerked his hand away from her. "What's going on Haley? Why are you suddenly unable to keep your hands to yourself?"

Haley smiled at him coquettishly and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know what you're talking about Nathan," she said resting a reassuring hand on his arm.

"This," he said shaking her arm off, "this is what I'm talking about."

Haley looked at him apparently mystified by his behaviour. "It's just an innocent touch between friends Nathan. We are friends aren't we?"

Nathan stared at her unsure of how to respond. When this arrangement had first began friends was the last thing he would have thought of them as but then gradually they had started to find a certain level of comfort with each other and things had progressed to a level where they could communicate in a friendly manner. He wondered if perhaps he was over reacting to her proximity but the memory of what had happened the day before was far too fresh in his mind. She said she wanted them to be friends but the way they had been on that sofa yesterday had gone far beyond the limits of simple friendship. Plus what she had done to him in the kitchen was not something he would descrive as the actions of a friend. He'd nearly had a heart attack when he felt her hand in his pants stroking him like that. Never in his life had he imagined that Haley would do something like that even when things had been great between them it had almost always been him that had instigated any sexual activity.

He looked at her and found her staring up at him waiting for his response. "I would like us to be friends too Haley but I just don't know how we do that. In all the time that we've known each other we've never just been friends."

"Well then," she said "I think now is the perfect time for us to start. Lucas is coming home with us today and I'm sure the last thing he needs is for there to be any tension between us. He has more than enough going on at the moment don't you think?"

Haley could see him processing her words and knew she had gained the upper hand. There was no way that he would want to do anything that might make things any more difficult for his brother. Finally he looked at her and nodded slightly. "Friends it is," he agreed.

"Good," she said moving to where he stood and stepping in close to him wrapping her arms around him. He stiffened in her embrace but she remained where she was stroking her hands over his back in a soothing fashion.

"What are you doing now," he groaned finding the way her hands were roaming over his back anything but soothing.

"Just giving you a friendly hug," she told him smiling to herself. This was working out even better than she had predicted. She knew she couldn't push Nathan too hard at the moment or he would withdraw from her but she also knew that if she kept her advances subtle then he couldn't accuse her of anything untoward. Her hands continued their exploration of his back and she felt him begin to relax against her. His hands moving from where they had hung stiffly by his sides to lightly caress the skin of her arms. She pressed herself in more closely against him burying her face in his chest and inhaling his scent. She had always loved the way he smelt and was gratified to find that nothing had changed. His aftershave was still the one she had once bought him as a Christmas present. Ever since that day it had been the only one he had worn.

Nathan stood with her in his arms once again and wondered why it was that he could never stay away from her try as he might. He was doing his best to remain unaffected by her proximity but could feel his body stirring in its natural reaction to her presence. The smell of her perfume was invading his senses and he wanted nothing more at that moment then to dip his head and taste her skin. He felt his head lowering and was powerless to stop it she had some sort of hold over him that he could never fight. His lips were inching closer and closer to the exposed skin of her neck. He was barely inches from her and could feel the excitement coursing through her body as he held her and knew she was aware of what he was planning. His mouth continued closer and closer then just as they made contact Lucas' voice came to them from inside the room.

The exasperation in his tone was obvious and Nathan wondered just how many times he had attempted to call them back into the room. Stepping back from her he moved out of her embrace and moved towards the room not looking back, not wanting to see the longing that he was sure was now present in her eyes. After a moment he could feel her start to follow him and lengthened his strides wanting to be back in the room with Lucas and Cory before she reached him. He truly didn't know how much more of this temptation he could take.

Lucas looked at him strangely when he entered but apparently decided against asking what it was that led to him looking so bothered. There was now no doubt that he and his brother had to sit down and have a serious chat some time soon but that could wait until they had some time alone. Looking once more back at Brooke he turned to the pair standing in front of him. "I'm ready to go when you are," he said quietly.

"Uh sure," Nathan agreed.

"Why don't the two of you go upstairs and collect Lucas' things and take Cory with you I want to spend a few minutes with Brooke before we leave." Haley told them.

Nathan and Lucas nodded and Nathan wheeled Lucas towards the elevator with Cory cradled in his father's arms. "I'm going to be so glad to get rid of this wheelchair man," Lucas told him.

"Yeah I'm sure you will be," Nathan said distractedly as he punched at the button that would call the elevator.

"So you going to tell me what's going on?" Lucas asked calmly. Although he couldn't see him he could feel the tension emanating from his brother and knew that he had been right in thinking that there was something he needed to talk about.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Nathan tried to tell him but Lucas cut him off with a derisive laugh.

"Don't bother man now come on tell me what's going on. I could use the distraction."

Nathan sighed resignedly. "What do you want to know?"

"Well you can start by telling me what's going on between you and Haley. It's obvious that there is something happening between the two of you. Not to mention the fact that from what I saw today she's pregnant. What the hell is that about? Just tell me where you guys stand at the moment. Last time I spoke to you about this you never wanted to speak to her again. So tell me what's changed?"

"I wish I could Luke but I don't even know where to begin. You're right though she is pregnant. I'm going to be a father in about four months time."

"Well that's good news at least isn't it? Surely this gives you and Haley something to build upon. Maybe there is hope for your relationship after all."

Nathan shrugged and grunted noncommittally. Lucas looked at him and could see he wasn't going to get a real answer from him just then. Nathan obviously had a lot going on in his head and only he could sort out just what his feelings were for Haley right now.

"Alright but you know if you do want to talk I'm here for you man." Lucas told him quietly. He knew his brother would not appreciate any sentimentality and decided to leave it up to him to come to him when he was ready to talk.

Nathan nodded quietly and exited the elevator as it came to a stop. "I do need to talk to someone but I just need to try and sort it out in my own head first." There was no way he could talk to Lucas about this when he didn't even understand it himself. Sighing he paused outside Lucas' room "All I know man is that she's driving me insane."


	47. Let The Games Begin

**A.N Ok well it's 4am so you're just going to have to blame exhaustion for this chapter. Think I may have temporarily lost control of my mental faculties or some of you may say I finally gained control. Anyway rambling. This chapter carries a very real warning that it contains scenes of a sexual nature and if you thought what I had wrote before was full on then you may want to forget this chapter completely. Anyway it is what it is and hopefully you will all enjoy it. This one's for Cathy who has been waiting so anxiously for it to be posted. Has been bugging me about it constantly as a matter of fact. LOL. As well as for Jess who helped come up with the idea of what would take place in this chapter and well for one other person who shall remain nameless but who definitely inspired some of what I wrote in this chapter. Looking forward to the reviews on this one. But remember read at your own peril you have been warned.**

**Chapter Forty-five**

Haley stood to the side watching Lucas as he fed Cory his bottle. He had propped the baby in his lap with a pillow and was using his good arm to feed him the bottle. Haley could see the look of pure happiness on his face at finally getting the opportunity to participate in such a simple task and felt her own heart swell with contentment. She looked over to where Nathan sat hunched over his laptop at the table behind where Lucas sat and once again felt a smile play across her lips. This smile though was one more of a hunter who had spotted their prey and her eyes took on a predatory gleam.

He had been steadfastly avoiding her all day never venturing far from Lucas' side as if he hoped his brother would offer some sort of shield against her advances. Haley had found this amusing and had bided her time knowing that the moment would come when she would get him alone and her fun would begin. But now she was getting impatient. It was obvious that Lucas' attention was completely focused on Cory so she could see no reason not to make her move.

Walking nonchalantly to stand behind him she allowed her hands to rest on his shoulders. She felt him tense immediately and knew that he was anything but immune to her touch. Slowly she began to knead his shoulders leaning in so that her breasts pressed against his back. Her lips at his ear she whispered "Nathan you're so tense. I think you need to relax. Want some help?" she asked sweetly. He was rigid by this stage staring straight ahead the laptop ceasing to exist in his mind. "So Nate," she said once again in a low voice allowing her lips to graze his earlobe. "Do you have any plans for tonight?" She asked him and her words seemed to reverberate in his ear as he felt her hot breath against his neck. The scent of her perfume was all around him and he felt as if the room were closing in on him till there was nothing else but the two of them. The world outside had ceased to exist. He tried to fight through the haze her words were creating but all he was aware of were her hands on him, kneading at his flesh.

"Um," he said his mind a fog "I uh think the Lakers are playing Lucas and I are probably going to watch them."

"Really," she said her hand sliding down his chest, pausing briefly to play with the buttons on his shirt. His breathing became ragged as she undid one and then another and slipped her hand beneath the material playing gently with his nipple. His hand came up to cover hers stilling its movement against his chest. "What's wrong Nate I'm just trying to help you relax?"

"Haley trust me the last thing you're doing to me right now is relaxing me." He grunted as her hand continued its unbidden exploration over the ridges of muscle in his chest. "Haley," he groaned knowing that he could not continue to idly sit by as she touched him in that way. He was nearing the end of his tether and knew that it would take very little from her for him to completely lose what little restraint he still maintained over his libido. If she continued the way she was he was going to lose control. He pictured himself sweeping the laptop from the table and laying her back onto it as he pounded into her, her legs would hook around his waist as he wrenched her skirt up and out of the way. There would be no gentle initiation, the way he was feeling right now all he wanted was to be buried deep inside of her and he wanted it right then at that very second. Still holding her hand in his he tugged on it pulling her down so that her chin rested on his shoulder. He turned his head slightly so he could speak huskily into her ear. "Do you have any idea what I want to do to you right now?"

"Why don't you tell me?" she breathed flirtatiously in his ear allowing her teeth to graze his lobe.

"Well to start with," he said in that same husky tone "I would have you on this table bent over backwards. Your legs would wrap around my waist and then I'd be inside of you Haley, there would be no need for foreplay because you're already getting wet just thinking about this aren't you?"

She nodded mutely as she felt her control of the situation slipping away from her. He had turned her into a puddle of longing with just a few words and she was at a loss to know what to do. This whole thing worked at the moment because she was the one doing all the playing. He had put her through so much in recent times and she felt it was time to remind him exactly why they had always had such a strong connection. She didn't consider their relationship to be all about sex but with Nathan she knew that it made up a big part of it. If she couldn't get him to want her again physically then she had no way of ever possibly reconstructing their relationship. At least that's the way that it seemed to her. The emotional connection she would worry about later right now she just needed to know that he still wanted her. Not to mention the fact that lately her hormones had been driving her crazy and having Nathan in that house was almost too much for her to bear.

He felt her movement and chuckled deep in his throat. "You know I'm right don't you Haley?" When she still failed to speak he raised his voice slightly. "I want to hear you admit it." His fingertips were tracing lazy circles on the back of her hand and it was all she could do to remain in a standing position.

She was brought crashing back to earth by Lucas' nervous cough coming from in front of them as he remained staring steadfastly ahead. Haley felt her face flush with embarrassment. She had barely even been aware of his presence in the room. When she was with Nathan she lost any awareness of the world around them sometimes to her detriment. Pulling her hand from Nathan's grasp she straightened from where she had been practically draped over his back and walked around to where Lucas sat.

"Uh I think Cory is finished," he told her with an almost apologetic tone making Haley realise that he had been at least partially aware of what had been occurring behind him. She was mortified but tried her best to smile as if nothing were out of the ordinary.

"Ok well did you want me to burp him or do you think you can manage?"

"I think that's something you might have to do Haley it's a bit hard with only one arm."

Nathan listened to the two of them talking and tried to focus on what was being said but his mind was racing. Haley could turn him on like no-one ever had before and he doubted anyone else would in the future but he also knew that it went both ways. She was anything but immune to him. He didn't know what had gotten into her recently but she was acting so differently to anything that she had ever done before. Maybe it was something to do with her pregnancy after all the last time she had been pregnant he had not been there. He resolved to ask Lucas about it later. After all he had some experience living with a pregnant woman maybe he would know what this was all about. It could be just some weird hormonal thing he surmised and for a moment wondered who she had expelled those urges with the last time but immediately banished those thoughts. From what he knew of the last time she had been far too depressed to even consider sex and he had to believe that she had not been with another man during that time. This was definitely a different Haley to the one he was used to. His mind wandered back to the only other time he could remember her acting like this and a smile crossed his face at the thought.

_**Flashback**_

_He lounged around in front of the TV bored out of his mind. Haley had gone out with Brooke and Peyton for the night and had called him half an hour ago telling him to meet her at the beach house. He could tell that she had been drinking her words were slurred together but there was no mistaking the meaning behind them. She had told him to wait for her and she would make it worth his while. He had been surprised to say the least Haley had never been one to initiate things between them but hell he wasn't complaining. Standing up he paced nervously in front of the window looking for any sign of her arrival but so far she had not turned up._

_Turning away from the window he walked to the kitchen scanning the contents of the fridge but turned away moments later knowing that food was not going to appease the hunger growing inside of him. There was only one thing that was going to do that and her name was Haley James he thought to himself with a smirk. He heard a pounding on the door and made his way quickly to the door hoping that at last she had arrived. Opening it up he found her on the doorstep smiling at him._

"_Bedroom now," she told him forcefully placing a hand on his chest and guiding him back towards the room._

"_Haley, what…" but she didn't allow him to speak her hand moving from his chest to cover his mouth._

_They entered the room and he reached for her wanting to feel her close to him but she shook her head drunkenly. "Uh-uh," she told him "We're doing this my way."_

_Looking at her quizzically he waited for her to elaborate but she made no attempt to, instead her hands went to the front of his shirt and she began to undo the buttons one by one agonisingly slowly. He brought his own hands up to help but she brushed them away. "No Nathan, let me," she purred. His hands dropped limply back to his sides as he waited to see what she would do next. As each button popped open her mouth was at his chest sucking and biting at the skin exposed, slowly moving lower and lower until she reached his belt buckle. Impatiently she pulled on it tugging at the buttons until his jeans hung precariously on his hips. Sliding her hands inside she stroked his balls before teasingly allowing her fingers to flutter against his length._

_He moaned at the contact and brought his hands to the hem of her shirt wanting to see her and touch her the way she was touching him. Laughing she shook her head at him. "Not yet," she told him "but soon very soon." He made another attempt to lift her shirt and she laughed at his eagerness. Taking on a stern tone she told him firmly "No Nathan, we are doing this my way." Bringing her hands back to his hips she slowly slid his jeans down taking his boxers down with them. He stood in front of her completely naked and she smiled. "There, that's so much better don't you think?" He merely grunted in response not entirely sure he was capable of coherent speech at this point._

_She brought her hands back to his chest and pushed him back onto the bed standing above him as he raised himself back up onto his elbows not wanting to have her out of his sight for a moment. Smiling at him she slid a hand underneath her top stroking her fingers across her stomach and watching as his eyes instantly darkened with anticipation. Slowly she moved her hand up lifting her shirt with her until she removed it completely. She stood before him dressed only in high heels, her skirt and a black lacy bra. He actually felt his groin tighten even more and wondered how it was possible for him to be anymore turned on at that moment. She slid her hands up over her ribcage and his eyes followed as if hypnotised. Her fingers found the buds of her nipples through her bra and as he watched she began to play with them, her eyes never leaving his face. He knew she could see the effect that she was having on him it must have been plainly written across his face. He was losing his mind watching her not knowing just what she would do next and hardly able to contain his excitement as he waited his anticipation growing with every second. Undoing the clasp on her bra she allowed her breasts to spill free. She moved closer allowing them to dangle closer to his face and smiling slightly as his tongue snaked out to lick one of her nipples. Placing her hands against his chest she pushed him back down onto the bed stepping out of her panties as she did so. She straddled one of his legs grinding down against it and he felt the pace of his breathing increase as he tried desperately to suck in some much needed air._

_Taking his hands in hers she brought them to her hips helping him to find the zipper at the side of her skirt and shimmying out of it as he dragged it down. He didn't think he'd ever been this hard in his life as she once again pushed him back down onto the bed kissing her way up his inner thigh until she finally took him into her mouth. Unable to refrain any longer he brought his hands to the back of her head holding her in place as she sucked and nibbled at his length. Just when he was sure he couldn't take this torture any longer she raised her head and smiled at him. A smile that showed she was well aware of the power she held over him at that moment._

"_Lay back," she instructed and as soon as he obeyed she reached over pulling a foil package from the bedside table and ripping it open with her teeth before smoothing it down over him. Satisfied she moved to straddle him encasing him almost instantly in her tight, wet warmth. A moan spilled forth from his lips as she began to rock her hips encouraging his thrusts and he captured her ass in his hands loving the way she fit so perfectly in his grasp. He couldn't ever remember being this out of control in his life even as a horny virgin he had managed to hold out a bit longer than this but before he knew what was happening he could feel his release building inside of him and knew from one look at her face that she was very close herself._

"_Come on," he urged her "I want you to come with me."_

"_Almost there," she gritted out rocking her hips faster and faster against him. He knew he was about to explode and then she opened her eyes for just a moment and looked at him and he knew the time had come. Groaning his release he felt her shudder in his hands as waves of pleasure overtook her. Finally she collapsed down onto his chest temporarily spent and panting heavily. His hands rubbed at her back as he tried to regain control of his own breathing._

"_Wow," he said a few minutes later finally capable of speech, "that was…, I don't know what that was," he admitted a touch of awe in his voice. He and Haley had been sexually active now for over a year and in all that time he had never known her to be so free with him. For the first time ever she had really let go and he had most definitely reaped the rewards._

_Looking down at where she lay against his chest he had to ask. "Where did that come from?" This was not the behaviour of the Haley James he knew not that he had a problem with it in any way. It was just the Haley he knew had always taken some coaxing from him to loosen up and enjoy things but tonight she had been wild. She hadn't even cared that the lights were on whereas normally she would refuse to even begin to take her clothes off until the room was dark. He knew that this behaviour was due in part to the fact that she had never slept with anyone but him and so lacked the experience and confidence to try anything new. But tonight's activities had definitely been new and he was keen to know where exactly it had come from. _

_He looked at her waiting for her response, looking up at him she shrugged "Brooke gave me a few pointers," she said innocently._

_Pulling her back down to his chest he felt her fighting the sleep that was overtaking her body. He rubbed his hands over her back in a soothing motion lulling her into sleep certain that after that effort she probably needed her rest. Falling asleep that night he had wondered if perhaps this was the beginning of a whole different side to Haley but in the morning she had woken up back to the same shy, awkward girl she had always been. He doubted that she even remembered what had taken place between them. She had obviously had far too much to drink, not that he was complaining mind you._

_**End Flashback**_

Gradually coming back into the present Nathan for a moment lingered on that memory from their past. She had never again been like that with him, even in Barbados there had always seemed to be something holding her back but now he wasn't so sure. It seemed as if that Haley from that one special night was making a reappearance and if that was the case well he didn't know what to think. He had been telling himself for months that things were over between them and that was the way they had to be. He had hardened his heart against her that day that she had finally come clean with all the secrets from her past but sometimes it was hard to remember that this was the way things were between them now.

Looking up he caught her watching him and wondered what she was thinking as she looked at him like that, but then decided he was probably better off not knowing.

"Well," she said brightly standing up from where she had been perched on the sofa beside Lucas. "I'm going to go put this little Munchkin to bed. Nathan I think Lucas needs your help to have a shower."

"Oh right," Nathan said trying to focus his attention on his brother but unable to drag his eyes away from her. "Um sure ok," he said watching after her as she left the room. He heard Lucas chuckle and turned to look at him. "What's your problem?" he asked testily.

"Nothing man," Lucas said holding his hands up in a picture of innocence. "Nothing at all."

"Alright well let's go get this over with. I can't believe I'm going to do this for you Luke," he said shaking his head.

"Yeah well I'm not exactly thrilled with the idea either," he replied "but I'm sure as hell not going to let Haley do it."

Nathan grimaced as the image of Haley with a naked Lucas sprung into his mind. "Let's go," he said gruffly helping Lucas back into his wheelchair and heading towards the downstairs bathroom.

Half an hour later he had an exhausted Lucas settled in his bedroom and could finally head to his own room. He hadn't seen Haley since she had disappeared upstairs with Cory and figured she had probably gone to her own room possibly asleep already as she had been up several times during the night with Cory to feed him.

Stepping into his room, he didn't notice her at first. It was only as he looked at the bed that he became aware of her presence. Sprawled across his bed she lay there completely naked wearing nothing more than an inviting smile.

"Haley," he groaned at the sight of her "what the hell are you doing?"

"Well obviously I'm waiting for you. So what do you say do you want to join me?"

He looked at her stunned for a moment before taking a deliberate step towards the bed.


	48. Checkmate

**A.N Ok well whatever I said about the last chapter goes double for this one. This chapter carries the most serious warning of content of a sexual nature that I should ever have to offer. I am being completely serious when I say that if you are bothered in any way by sexual references then you should not read this chapter. I rate my stories the way I do for a reason and this chapter just goes to prove it. Now on another note. I want to dedicate this chapter to Cathy who has had a really tough last couple of days. I'm thinking of you Cath. Hope this chapter offers the distraction you've been looking for. Also a thankyou to Jess who helped me come up with the title. If you guys haven't checked out her story A Woman's Worth you really don't know what you're missing out on. Read it you will not be disappointed. Don't know what it is about these chapters but once again its the very early hours of the morning when I'm posting this. Maybe that has something to do with the content of these last couple of chaps. LOL. Ok well leave me lots of reviews and I'll try to have another update up in the next couple of days.**

**Chapter Forty-six**

He stepped towards the bed and Haley's eyes gleamed with anticipation. He paused in front of the bed grasping her ankles and tugging her towards him. The rough pads of his fingertips brushed against the skin of her calves causing her to shiver with delight. His lips pursed into a smirk as his fingers crept higher up her legs. He placed one knee up on the bed beside her stopping in his descent towards her to swiftly remove his shirt. He was done with all the games, they had been dancing around each other for too long it was time to let this happen between them. He thought she could play around with his head and he wouldn't actually follow through but there was only so far he could be pushed and the sight of her naked on his bed was his breaking point.

She laughed throatily as she saw the look in his eyes. They had darkened from their normal sky blue to the colour of midnight and she felt her breath catch in her throat as she realised that this was finally going to happen. There would be no more back and forth, they had finally come to the point of no return and she revelled in the knowledge that there was nothing more standing between them. Their moment had finally come and she was determined to enjoy every moment of it. Sitting up from her position on her bed she hooked her fingers through his belt loops tugging him towards her. She placed her lips against his stomach pressing hot open mouthed kisses to his flesh and feeling his body stiffen in response. Her fingers eagerly pulled at the buttons of his jeans frustration showing in her eyes as her fingers fumbled in their eagerness. He chuckled huskily at her enthusiasm.

"Relax Haley, we have all night." But his words did nothing to calm and if anything she seemed to grow even more excited at the sound of his voice. Gently capturing her chin in one hand he forced her head up to look at him, his eyes boring into hers as she met his eyes, her own betraying the longing she felt every time she was close to him.

"Lay back," he said softly but firmly. She shook her head mutely and tried to return her lips to his stomach but he gently pressed her back onto the bed spreading her legs so that he could kneel between them. His tongue darted out licking at the sensitive bud of flesh that he knew was guaranteed to bring her the greatest possible pleasure. He felt her hips jerk in his hands and he knew he was achieving his objective. She was already close to the edge it was going to take very little to take her the rest of the way. He licked and nibbled at the sensitive flesh feeling her excitement grow with every movement of his tongue.

"Nathan," she groaned "please now. I want you now."

Lifting his head up to look at her he smiled at the raw passion in her eyes. Placing his lips to her stomach he began kissing and biting up and up until he reached her breast. Capturing her nipple between his teeth he felt her writhe beneath him, her hips bucking up into his. He stopped and smirked at her before finally capturing her lips with his, the room spun around her as his tongue explored every crevice of her mouth. Never in her life had she wanted him so much. She needed him; she needed to feel his hands on her, his tongue in her mouth was no longer enough. More than anything she craved the feeling of him buried deep inside of her, thrusting up into her making them truly one. He was driving her crazy and she didn't know if she could take anymore. Placing her hands on his chest she pushed him back from her desperately needing air. Her hands came down to cup the bulge of her stomach and as he watched his eyes darkened. Haley saw it and preened slightly certain that this was just another sign of the lust burning within him. Although it was true that there was lust what she did not realise was that his overwhelming emotion at that moment was anger.

The sight of her hand pressed to her stomach served to bring all of his mixed emotions towards her crashing back down upon him. The vivid reminder of her pregnancy was more than he was prepared for at that moment. Although he had resolved to at least make an effort to be there for Haley and more to the point his baby, it still made him furious thinking about how she had kept the news of Schapelle from him. He also couldn't shake the knowledge that he probably still would be none the wiser to the existence of this new baby if it wasn't for Brooke and Lucas' accident.

For days Haley had been using her body and the amazing attraction that still existed between them to rid him of his defences. She had been playing with his mind and he had had as much as he could possibly take. He couldn't fight the attraction that flared between them but that didn't change his feelings about what had occurred in the past.

He looked at her lying back on the bed and his passion overwhelmed him, dragging her up so that she was eye level with him he pulled her from the bed and pushed her up against the wall. His mouth at her neck biting the sensitive skin, he heard her moan and felt himself growing harder at the sound. He gripped her hips digging his fingertips into her flesh and heard her gasp but whether it was from pain or pleasure he didn't know and quite honestly didn't care. The only thing he could feel at that moment was anger more intense than anything he'd ever experienced before. It was like a tidal wave building up inside of him and he knew he had to find a way to expel it before he imploded.

He grinded his hips against her letting her feel the strength of his erection. Her eyes were fixed on his face in an expression of wide eyed disbelief. He thought for a moment that he detected an element of fear in her gaze and wondered why the thought that he was scaring her didn't bother him the way it should. He pressed his body into hers even closer and saw the slight fear in her eyes turn to undeniable lust and longing. Taking his hands away from her hips he tangled his fingers into her hair yanking her head back so that he no longer had to look into her eyes. He couldn't do this while he was looking into those brown limpid pools that he had drowned himself in so many times before. With her head tilted back the skin of her throat was exposed and he bent his head nipping at the exposed chord of her throat. Looking at the mark he had left there he traced his tongue over it and felt her shudder in response.

He pushed one of his legs in between hers forcing them apart and felt her rubbing herself against him. His hands went to his belt buckle pulling it free hastily and wrenching the offending piece of leather from its place. As soon as he had dispensed with it his hands automatically went to the buttons pulling them apart as quickly as he could before pushing his jeans down so they fell in a puddle at his feet. He stepped out of them kicking them across the room. Her hands came down to his boxers teasingly running her fingers under the waistband.

"Take them off now." He commanded not prepared to wait a second longer than absolutely necessary. She pushed them down his hips and he pushed against her again free of the confines of his clothing. He lifted her up so that she was pressed into the wall her legs wrapped around his waist. The moment had finally come.

His cell phone rang but he ignored it half expecting Haley to tell him to answer it but it was like she wasn't even aware of the incessant ringing. It rang out before starting to ring again almost immediately. "Fuck," he said angrily withdrawing from her and stalking across the room. "What?" he said struggling to control his breathing. He looked over to where Haley stood still pressed against the wall. Her face betrayed no emotion as she stared at him, her cheeks flushed with exertion. He didn't speak to her focusing his attention back onto the person on the other end of the phone. "We're on our way," he said snapping his phone closed. "I've got to go," he said without looking at her "Brooke's awake. I have to take Lucas to the hospital."

"What?" she said the haze in her mind clearing at his words. "Is she ok? What did they say?"

"I don't know," he said coldly walking over to where his clothes lay on the floor. He picked them up quickly pulling on his jeans and grabbing his shirt from the floor before leaving the room without looking at her again.

She sunk down to the floor unable to remain standing unsure of what she should do. She wanted to go to the hospital but knew that she had to remain behind with Cory. What had just happened between her and Nathan was something she had not expected, she had come to his room tonight sure that she was in control of the situation but he had taken that control away from her and she had been helpless in the face of the attraction burning between them. There had been something almost animalistic in the way Nathan had touched her and she knew that the anger he felt towards her about Schapelle was still a driving force within him.

Slowly she stood from the floor making her way to the side of the bed where her clothes sat neatly folded. Scooping them up she dressed quickly almost in a daze and made her way down the hall to where Cory lay sleeping. She stood over the crib for a moment stroking a hand gently over his blanket clad body. "You're finally going to meet your mommy little man," she said wistfully. "She is going to be so happy to see you." She remained where she was for half an hour just watching him sleep until finally she turned to go to her own room. She doubted that she would get much sleep after the events that had occurred that day but she had to at least try. She knew the next day was going to be even crazier than things had already been and knew the only way she would cope with it would be by getting as much rest as possible.

After getting up to Cory several times during the night she woke the next morning feeling almost as if she hadn't slept at all. Glancing at the clock beside her bed though she knew it wasn't true. It was already after eight and she wondered why she hadn't heard Nathan and Lucas return. She had always been a light sleeper and surely the sound of the two of them returning would have woken her. Getting up from the bed she walked down the hall pausing at Nathan's door as she saw that it remained open just as she had left it the night before. Glancing inside it was obvious the bed had not been slept in and realised that he had not returned home the night before.

Hearing Cory begin to cry she turned and walked back to the nursery scooping the baby into her arms and inhaling his scent. "What would I do without you Cory, sometimes it feels like you're all I have left?" She placed him on the change mat changing his wet diaper before removing his sleep suit and selecting some clothes for him to wear. "We have to make you look special little man. Today's the day that you get to meet your mom and we have to make sure you look your best. Your mom would never forgive me if I took you in there looking anything less than perfect," she told him conversationally. Walking back into the bedroom with him she laid him on the bed as she quickly headed towards the shower. Minutes later she was back in the room hunting through her wardrobe looking for clothes.

Taking him downstairs ten minutes later she cradled him in one arm preparing his bottle with her other hand. "I think you and I should have some breakfast and then head to the hospital. We don't want to keep your mommy waiting."

When they walked into Brooke's hospital room half an hour later Haley was thrilled to see Brooke propped up in bed talking tiredly to Lucas. Nathan stood slightly back from the pair not wanting to impose on their moment. He looked up as she entered and she flushed slightly under his gaze as memories of the night before flooded back into her mind. Looking at him she saw him watching her no emotion showing on his face but as she looked into his eyes she caught an expression that she couldn't quite read and wondered about it.

Brooke's voice broke into her thoughts. "Tutor Girl is that you? Nathan why didn't you tell me she was back?" Nathan didn't speak a shrug of his shoulders his only acknowledgement of her question. Haley forced her gaze away from him focusing instead on Brooke. She walked towards her a million different emotions bubbling inside of her at the sight of her best friend finally out of her coma and talking to her.

"Yes Brooke, it's me and I've brought someone with me who has been really looking forward to meeting you."

Brooke beamed as she took in the sight of Haley carrying the baby in his carrier pressed to her stomach. "Oh my God, Haley when did you have a baby."

Haley stopped mid-step staring at her in shock. "Brooke this is Cory," she said watching her carefully waiting to see the light of recognition in her eyes but Brooke continued to look at her with the same expression.

"Cory," she said allowing the name to roll off her tongue. "I like that."

Haley didn't know how to respond and looked toward Lucas but he was sitting staring at her stunned also. Nathan moved suddenly walking towards the door. "Ah I think I should get the doctor."

Brooke was looking between Haley and Lucas obviously unable to understand why they were looking at her so strangely. "What's going on?" she asked in a small voice and Lucas stroked her arm reassuringly.

"Its fine baby," he told her "don't worry about it."

"No," she said determinedly "there's something wrong. Please tell me what it is."

Haley moved into action gently placing Cory into Lucas' uninjured arm. "Brooke you have no idea how happy I am to see you awake. How are you feeling?" She could see that Brooke was still worried about what had just taken place but as she watched she saw her force a smile to her face and knew that Brooke was going to at least pretend that Haley had succeeded in her efforts at distraction.

"It's good to see you too Tutor Girl. When did you get back?"

"Just a few weeks ago," Haley said uncertainly. She wasn't sure what was going on here. Brooke seemed to be completely unaware of who Cory was and if that was the case then she couldn't help but think that she probably had no memory of the last month at all and who knew how many more previous to that. Did she not remember Haley's return to Tree Hill earlier this year?

"Well that baby is obviously a Scott. I can't believe I had no idea that you and Nathan were together again. How did this all happen?" she asked indicating Cory in Lucas' arms.

Haley opened her mouth to answer but the words just wouldn't come. Closing it again she simply stared at Brooke. She was sure she had read somewhere that if someone had lost their memory that telling them something so major could have devastating consequences. She wished Nathan would hurry up and return with the doctor. Brooke was watching her expectantly clearly waiting for an answer. Lucas cleared his throat and Haley watched him anxiously not sure what he was going to say or even what he should say.

A noise at the door caught all their attention and she and Lucas heaved a relieved sigh as Nathan and Brooke's doctor entered the room. Brooke looked at them strangely before turning her attention to the doctor. "Hey doc, so any idea when I'm going to be able to get out of this hell hole?" she asked laughingly.

Nathan stepped further into the room and came to stand beside Haley. "Ah perhaps you and I should go and take Cory home for his nap. Lucas and Brooke could probably use some time alone."

"Uh yeah, you're probably right," Haley agreed not knowing what else to say. She looked towards Brooke, Lucas and Cory all together for the first time and felt her heart break slightly. This should be such a joyous occasion and instead she was close to tears. "Hey Lucas, why don't you let me take Cory? I'm sure you, Brooke and the doctor have a lot to discuss. Lucas looked up at her gratefully and Haley could see the sheen of tears in his eyes.

"Thanks Haley I would really appreciate that. I guess I'll have the nurses give you a call when I'm ready to leave," Lucas said turning to look at Nathan briefly. Nathan nodded shortly in agreement.

"Ok," he agreed "I'll see you in a bit." He turned back to Haley and started ushering her towards the door.

Brooke's voice halted them before they could quite make it out though. "Definitely think it's time you went Nathan. Did we interrupt the two of you earlier or something because you definitely need to go home and work off some of that tension? God you could cut the sexual tension between the two of you with a knife. Hey maybe you two can get some more baby making practice."

Nathan paused for a moment and visibly stiffened at her words before forcing himself to relax and laugh off her words. "Whatever you think Brooke, whatever you need to believe."

The two of them left the room; Cory cradled in Haley's arms and made their way down the hall headed home after what had been an exhaustive visit to the hospital. Walking out into the parking lot Haley tried to calm a by now screaming Cory. "Nathan I don't know what's wrong with him, I've never seen him get like this. What if there's something wrong with him."

"Haley," Nathan said consolingly knowing that it was more than just the upset baby in her arms that was causing her distress. "He's a baby, he's going to cry sometimes," but he could see that Haley herself was getting more and more upset by the moment. "Give me your keys," he said softly "you're in no state to drive yourself and my nephew home. I'll just get a cab back later when I have to come get Lucas and pick up my car then."

Haley nodded not even attempting to argue. Nathan reached out and took Cory from Haley's arms and almost as if he had been sensing Haley's distress and feeding off it he quietened instantly. This only served to make Haley cry harder. "Oh God now "I'm upsetting Cory. I can't do anything right."

"Haley," Nathan said "you just need to calm yourself down ok. We're going to go home and we're all going to get some rest."

Haley nodded quietly silent tears still spilling down her cheeks and stepped up to the passenger side of the car. As they drove Nathan debated whether to tell her the other news that the doctor had given them about Brooke's condition but decided against it. She was more than upset enough at that moment the last thing she needed was more bad news. He glanced over to where she sat staring morosely out of the window. He didn't know what more he could say to her and wasn't even certain that he even wanted to give her any form of comfort. Wasn't it in some way fitting that she was hurting so badly at the moment after everything she had put him through, but as much as he tried to harden his heart against her somehow he could not go so far as to wish such obvious despair on her.

Arriving home he turned in his seat and saw that Cory had fallen asleep. Getting out of the car he walked to the back unbuckling his nephew as gently as possible and carrying him into the house. Haley followed sedately behind, walking behind him into the nursery and watching as Nathan changed his diaper and placed him into his crib. Haley moved up closer to Nathan and stared down into the crib at the defenceless baby.

"I just don't understand this Nathan, what did Lucas and Brooke ever do to anyone, they don't deserve this and what about poor little Cory. He's not even a month old and he has a mother who doesn't even recognise him. You can't tell me that this is just some form of karma. He's never done anything to anybody and look at the start he's had to his life."

Nathan looked at her incredulously but instinctively knew that he had to let her continue. She needed to get it all out and she had to do it now or it would fester inside of her and that wouldn't be good for anyone least of all Cory. So he stood next to her and listened telling himself that he was only doing this because it was what was best for Cory. Eventually she quietened and he saw her shoulders heaving with silent sobs. Awkwardly he put an arm around her shoulders hating to see her cry but not comfortable in the role of comforter. She looked up at him.

"Nathan I need to forget, please make me forget all about this even if it is only for one afternoon."

He looked at her stunned for a moment not entirely sure what she wanted from him. She turned her body to face him and reached out a hand stroking him lightly through the thin denim of his jeans. She slipped her hand down inside, her fingers grazing against his stomach as she did so.

"Haley stop," he ground out. The torment continued. "Don't do that," he grated.

"Why?" she asked him a ghost of a smile crossing her lips.

"Because," he said panting slightly "you know what it does to me."

"Yes," she admitted unashamedly "and I also know what this does to you," she told him as she lifted his shirt her tongue coming out to flick at his nipple ring. Taking it between her teeth she pulled at it gently causing Nathan to shudder in pleasure.

"Fine," he gritted from between his teeth "you want me you're going to get me." Grasping her shoulders in his hands he pushed her back through the doorway out into the hall and up against the wall. "Just remember Hales you asked for this." Pushing up her t-shirt and bra in one fluid motion he bent his head capturing her engorged nipple between his teeth, sucking at her hungrily and feeling her squirm with pleasure. Meanwhile his other hand was at work on her jeans pulling the buttons away before yanking them down along with her panties.

Stroking his fingers across her entrance he was surprised to find her already wet and ready for him. She groaned low in her throat and threw her head back in ecstasy as he slid a finger inside of her. She brought her own hand down to cover his helping him to find the tempo to take her over the edge. Her head moved from side to side in reckless abandon.

"Oh God," she said "I need you now."

Nathan didn't need to be told again his hands slid under her ass lifting her legs so that they wrapped around his waist and thrust himself up inside of her. She moaned and rocked her hips against him. He thrust into her harder and harder until finally he felt his release coming. Her fingers bit into his shoulders and he captured her chin in his hand forcing her to look at him as his release exploded from him. He felt her find hers too and knew that no matter what else may have happened between them this was one thing that no-one could ever deny. They meshed together in a way that few other people ever could hope to. Physically together they were perfection.


	49. Save Me

**A.N Ok no update as yet sorry guys but I am working on it and I promise to try to have one up within the next few days. The reason for this quick note is to let any of you budding fan fic writers no matter your level of expertise know about a fantastic group that has been started by Kaos. It's called writers911 and is basically a forum for writers to get together discuss ideas and get help with their writing. Its also a lot of fun with different challenges posted that we can all choose to get involved in etc. If any of you are interested let me know by sending me an email. I would love to get some more naley enthusiasts involved as I'm starting to feel a bit outnumbered by all the brucas worshippers. But any shippers are welcome. So drop me a line and I'll have Kaos send you an invite. Lastly I do promise that there will be an update sometime in the next few days, I've had a few distractions this week and haven't done nearly as much as writing as I should have. LOL. Hope you can all wait till then.**

**Ange x.**


	50. Forgotten Memories

**Ok everyone well its finally done. This staying up till 4am is going to have to stop if I'm ever going to be able to go back to work. This latest chapter was a bit of a difficult one to write so I hope it meets your standards. Thank goodness for Writers911. Any of you writing enthusiasts out there I would definitely recommend getting involved. If you want any info just let me know. Ok well enjoy.**

**Chapter Forty-seven**

Lucas gripped Brooke's hand terrified of what the doctor would say. He had been waiting so anxiously for her to wake up and now it had finally happened and instead of leaving him with a feeling of elation he was more terrified than ever.

When he and Nathan had arrived at the hospital he had been excited, beyond excited he had been so sure that he, Brooke and Cory were finally about to start their life together as a family. But nothing had been as he expected, he had entered the room to find Brooke furious and surrounded by doctor's and nurses trying to calm her.

Nathan had taken him immediately to be by Brooke but she had barely glanced at him as she continued her tirade. He could not remember the last time he had seen her so angry, he was sure that had she been standing up she would have been stamping her foot like a petulant child. He had thought she would be so happy to be awake perhaps there would be tears of relief and joy but not this. Her face was flushed and her eyes were flashing. He had never seen her like this.

"Broody," she wailed when she finally turned her attention away from the hospital staff gathered around her bed "oh Broody. What is going on? I woke up in this hospital bed and you weren't here and nobody will tell me what the hell is going on."

"Brooke its ok," Lucas tried to reassure her but she refused to be placated.

"How can you say that it's ok Lucas? Look at you, you're in a wheelchair and there's something wrong with your arm."

"I'm ok," he tried once again to tell her "I'm only in this chair because I can't use crutches with my other injuries but before you know it I'm going to back to normal."

Brooke attempted to smile at him through her tears. "I'm just so confused Lucas, why am I in this hospital? What happened? As for normal I'm not even sure what that is, everything is so fuzzy at the moment."

Lucas looked at her stunned not knowing what to say. "Brooke don't you remember the accident?"

"Accident?" she asked "what accident? Someone better tell me what the hell is going on."

"Brooke, you need to calm down, I'll explain things but you need to be calm. You've already been through so much."

"What Lucas, what have I been through and why is everyone walking around on eggshells around me? There's something major going on and I want to know what it is and I want to know now," she finished angrily. She tried to sit up and grimaced in pain. "Ow," she grumbled "what's with all the pain?" She glanced down at herself before looking up at Lucas accusingly "Damn Broody what the hell? Did you have them give me a boob job?"

"Of course not?" he replied incredulously. "You know I don't want to change anything about you."

"Well then do you mind explaining to me why my breasts seem to have increased in size and are so damn sore?"

Lucas answered his mouth to speak but then closed it again unsure what to say. Surely she remembered what they had learnt reading all those damn pregnancy books, how her breasts would be all sore and swollen after the birth. Enough time had passed now that she would no longer be producing milk but that didn't mean that they were completely back to normal.

As he watched she cupped them in her hands lifting them slightly almost as if she was weighing them uncaring of the doctors and nurses still in the room who were now shuffling their feet nervously. Lucas glanced around sending death glares in all of their directions until his gaze came to rest on his brother. Nathan was looking at Brooke openly a slight smile on his face. Lucas glared at him but Nathan it appeared was completely unaware of his brother at that moment. Lucas cleared his throat loudly and Nathan reluctantly tore his eyes away from Brooke and her newly improved assets.

"Nate do you think maybe you could go get me some coffee? I'd kind of like to have a chat with Brooke and her doctor if that's ok with you."

"Uh yeah sure," Nathan answered trying to act as if he hadn't just been caught checking out his brothers wife's breasts by the man himself. He shrugged to himself well maybe if Haley wasn't driving him half insane lately and making him so horny he could barely see straight, he wouldn't be so sexually starved that he would actually notice his sister in law.

After Nathan left Lucas turned back to Brooke preparing to answer her inevitable questions but apparently her outburst had drained what little energy she had. Lucas looked at the doctor in surprise she had seemed so alert only minutes before. He also couldn't quite contain the fear that if she went back to sleep again that she could slip back into a coma. He didn't think he could deal with the thought of not knowing again if or when she would wake up.

The unvoiced concerns were obviously something that the doctor could anticipate through being faced with them many times before. "Don't worry Mr Scott," she told him "it's perfectly normal for her to sleep a lot in the next few days. You need to know though that it is fairly unlikely that she will slip back into a coma, not likely but a possibility nonetheless. I also ordered her a sedative when she started getting so upset before so that combined with the pain medication she is on and the trauma her body has been through recently is going to make her very drowsy for most of the day. In fact you really shouldn't expect her to be awake for long periods for the next couple of weeks at least. She will slowly regain her strength and we'll be able to reduce her meds which should result in her being more alert."

Lucas smiled to himself. "You don't know Brooke," he muttered under his breath.

"Sorry?" the doctor asked hearing Lucas speak but not catching the words.

"Nothing," Lucas said still with his grin in place.

"Mr Scott there is something else that you should know, your wife doesn't seem to want to think about it but we have discovered something that is rather concerning for us. We have to run more tests to be sure but it appears that there is a small possibility that your wife may be suffering from some form of paralysis. Now like I said we don't know anything for sure yet but we should after we run some tests tomorrow and evaluate the results."

Before Lucas could speak or even process the information he heard a noise behind him and craned his neck around to see Nathan frantically trying to mop up spilled coffee with a handful of napkins.

A nurse rushed to his side "why don't you let me do that?"

Nathan looked at her for a moment almost as if she had spoken to him in some foreign language. He could hardly believe what he had just heard; the news was tearing him up inside but looking at Lucas he knew that he had to keep it together for his sake. So forcing a brave smile to his face he looked at Lucas doing his best to remain calm. Lucas was looking back and forth between him and the doctor his mouth gaping as he tried to formulate the questions that were swirling around in his head but no matter how he tried no words would come and eventually he just closed his mouth again looking towards his wife with tears in his eyes.

He leaned in closer to her clasping her hand in his and bringing it to his lips in a gentle kiss. He kept her hand there for several minutes all of his attention focused solely on the woman in front of him. He didn't know how much more bad news he could take. Ever since he had woken up in that hospital bed he felt as if he had been put through an emotional wringer. He had been through every possible emotion and now right when it seemed he needed to be stronger than ever he felt completely drained.

"Your wife will probably sleep for some time now Mr Scott so if you want to go home and get some rest…"

Before she could finish what she was going to say Lucas cut her off abruptly. "I'm not leaving her."

"Mr Scott," she tried to interject.

"No I'm not going anywhere."

"Luke you need your rest too." Nathan tried to tell him.

"I don't care," Lucas said. "I'll rest here but I'm not going anywhere."

"Well then I guess I'm staying too." Nathan said just as determinedly. There was no way he was going to leave his brother alone with everything that had happened. If Lucas was staying then so was he. He grabbed the chair from beside the bed pulling it slightly away from the bed so as not to intrude on the two of them and settled into it. The room had gradually emptied out and now it was just himself, Lucas and Brooke. It was going to be a long night. He briefly considered calling Haley but then decided against it after what had occurred between them just a couple of hours ago he didn't even know what he would say to her. He needed to get his head together before he attempted to talk to her otherwise who knew what he might say. Things were so different between them lately it was like Haley was this completely different person and he wasn't quite sure what to make of it. She had never been so sexually adventurous with him before even when they had been in Barbados she had still been holding something back but it was like whatever had been blocking her had now been released and he knew that things from now on were going to be very out of the ordinary between them.

Lucas knew that something was going on between Nathan and Haley. Although Nathan hadn't come out and said it in so many words Lucas suspected that the phone call from the hospital had interrupted something fairly intense between the two of them. Whether they had been in the middle of fighting or fucking he didn't know but he did know that there had been something. So sitting there in the silence of the darkened room watching his wife sleep Lucas finally got his brother to open up to him about everything that had been happening since Haley's return. Nathan had been reluctant to talk at first but then it had all come spilling out leaving Lucas overwhelmed with the sheer volume of emotions that his brother had been dealing with since his return. All the thoughts and feelings were unloaded and Lucas finally understood why Nathan had been acting the way he had. It was obvious that he was still in love with Haley but Lucas knew that he was also still reeling from everything that had happened in the past and the road back to each other was not necessarily going to be an easy one for his brother and the woman he cared so deeply about. Hell there was no guarantee that they would ever find their way back together but Lucas could only hope that perhaps this baby would provide them with the incentive they needed to forget about the past and concentrate on the future.

He had slept for a little while all the time conscious of the woman lying in the bed before him. What little sleep he had gotten had been fitful as he found himself constantly waking up just to reassure himself that she was still ok and nothing had happened to her in the short time that he had closed his eyes. When Brooke had awoken the next morning he had been hit with such a tremendous sense of relief that he had been almost giddy with happiness. That was until Haley and Cory had arrived and Brooke had failed to realise the child being held in his arms belonged to them.

Now he sat there with the doctor waiting to see what she would say about this latest turn of events. But for the moment at least she appeared unconcerned as she calmly asked Brooke a few questions trying to ascertain just how much of a memory loss she had sustained. When she had finished she turned to Lucas. "Mr Scott can I get you to come out into the hall with me I would like to discuss a few things with you." Lucas looked at Brooke expecting her to protest but instead found her once again on the verge of sleep.

"I'll be here when you wake up ok baby?" Lucas told her.

She smiled wearily as her eyes drifted closed. "Ok Broody."

The doctor wheeled Lucas out into the hall before walking around to the front of his chair to face him.

"What's wrong with her?" Lucas asked worriedly. "I mean has she got amnesia, I thought that was something that only happened in the movies and on daytime TV. I never thought that it would happen to anyone I know."

"We can't be sure yet Mr Scott but if I had to make a guess I would think that judging by the timeframe that your wife seems to be forgetting that this is only a temporary thing. It is most likely just some confusion brought about by her head trauma. I think if we just give her some time her memory will come back by itself. I do however still need to run the tests to establish the extent of her paralysis so if perhaps you could have the nurse page me when Mrs Davis-Scott wakes up then I could get started on them and hopefully be able to put both of your minds at ease."

"Thank-you Doctor, I just hope you're right."

The doctor had taken him back into the room and he had sat watching over her as she slept. She had woken a few hours later thirsty and irritable.

"Broody can you give me some water? I'm so dry."

Lucas had leaned forward holding the cup up for her to take a sip. She had begun to push herself to a sitting position grimacing and placing a hand on her lower abdomen as she did. Damn why am I so sore down here?" She froze for a moment as her hand came into contact with the stitches holding together the incision from her caesarean. "Oh my God," she said.

"Brooke what is it?" he asked his voice full of concern his hand already reaching for the call button that would summon the nurse ignoring the pain in his ribs.

"Broody is this what I think this is? Did I have a baby?"

As he watched he could see something flicker behind her eyes as the memory came flooding back. "Oh my God my baby, where's our baby?" She gripped his hand suddenly. "Oh it's Cory, Cory's our baby isn't he Luke?" tears of joy cascading down her face. But as quickly as they came they turned to tears of another kind. "My baby doesn't know me Luke; I'm missing out on so much."

As she sobbed Lucas gently stroked her arm making reassuring noises. "Shhh Brooke it's ok now. You're awake and you and Cory are going to have lots of time to get to know each other I promise."


	51. A Perfect Fairytale Ending?

**A.N Well I know its been a while since I updated so I've wrote a nice long chapter for you all to read and hopefully enjoy. I promise I'll try to have the next one up sooner. This week I shouldn't be writing responses to challenges. If any of you have the time check out my one shot titled Homecoming. I'd love to know what you think. Till next time.**

**Ange x.**

**Chapter Forty-eight**

As she rolled over she half expected to find the bed beside her empty that would be just the sort of thing that happened in those stupid romance novels. The man would sneak out while she still lay sleeping. Why couldn't it ever be the woman who snuck out and left the man wondering? But to her surprise she found him still lying there next to her snoring lightly and she felt herself begin to breathe normally. After they had finally collapsed spent on the floor of the hallway they had remained there for several minutes panting heavily before Nathan had scooped her up in his arms heading for the bedroom. The way he had taken her in the hall had left her in no doubt to the extent of the pull that still existed between them. He still felt it and she knew if she were to be honest with herself then she felt it too. The attraction between them was as natural to her as breathing. She could no more fight it then she could fight the instinct to inhale and exhale. What she didn't know though was whether for him it was only about sex or maybe just maybe there was still some love on his part.

She watched him as he slept waiting for the moment where he would open his eyes and look at her with a smile on his face, before he would smother her face with kisses and they would pick up right from where they had left off. Her heart was beating faster with anticipation as she reached out a tentative hand to stroke down his chest. He moved slightly obviously aware of her touch but did not wake immediately, she was so happy in that moment. They were waking up together and there were finally no more secrets between them. This wasn't like it had been in Barbados when she had been forced to hold herself back from truly being with him the way she wanted to be. The knowledge of what she was keeping from him had constantly hung over her head, but now it was different now they could be together the way she wanted them to be. There was no longer anything standing between them and the happiness she had been waiting and searching for, for so long.

He stirred slightly before settling back into a deep sleep. She smiled and allowed her thoughts to drift back over what had happened between them recently. She had been so sure that what there had been between them was over after she had admitted the truth about Tim and Schapelle. For a few months afterwards it had seemed she was correct and then as if fate itself was getting involved she had found herself heading back to Tree Hill. She had been terrified at first about seeing him and looking back at it now she could see that it had led her to some bad choices. Keeping Cory from Nathan had been unfair and selfish and she could see that now but at the time her vision had been so clouded with her own fears and paranoia's that she had failed to realise just how her behaviour would affect Nathan or even Cory himself. But everything had worked out for the best Lucas was well on his way to recovery and now that Brooke was awake well surely it would only be a matter of time before she was fully recovered too.

She shook her head physically trying to banish the negative thoughts filling her mind. Things finally seemed to be on the up and there was no way she wanted to dwell on past mistakes. Right now there was nothing she wanted to do more than forget all the bad stuff and simply concentrate on how wonderfully right it felt to be lying beside Nathan in his bed again. She was determined that last night should be just the beginning. Now that they had finally rediscovered each other physically she wanted them to be able to recapture some of what they had once had emotionally. Deep down she knew that most people would try to find the emotional connection before taking advantage of the physical but then most people were not her and Nathan. Not that she believed that they had nothing more than a physical connection but there was no doubt that it was a big part of what made them so wonderful together.

She wished she could lay there forever but she knew that Cory would soon awaken and she needed to be ready when he did, not to mention the fact that Lucas would be needing his breakfast and the multitude of other things she needed to accomplish before they went back to the hospital to see Brooke. She knew that it had been late when Nathan had gone to pick up Lucas from the hospital the night before so she assumed that he would be sleeping for at least a while longer. Looking over at Nathan regretfully she slid out of the bed quietly not wanting to disturb him. It would have been nice to wake up together but there was plenty of time for that to happen and with any luck it would tomorrow.

She walked to the bathroom turning on the faucets of the shower waiting for the water to reach the required temperature. The cool air of the bathroom sent a chill over her bare skin and for a moment she considered going to get her robe but then decided it wouldn't be worth it. She would be under the warm spray of the shower soon enough. She washed quickly not wanting to get her hair wet knowing that she would not have time to dry it before Cory awoke. Feeling her sore muscles start to relax under the pressure of the warm water she let out a small moan. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt like that, nothing she ever did in the gym could ever compare to the workout that Nathan could give her. The temptation to remain there allowing the water to rush over her aching muscles was strong but somehow she fought it turning off the faucets and stepping out of the shower. She towelled off quickly and stood in front of the mirror completely naked pulling the brush through her hair.

Nathan had heard the sound of the shower running across the hall and had fought the urge to go and join her. Last night had been the culmination of a lot of pent up frustrations on his part and he was satisfied in the knowledge that it was exactly what he had been waiting for between them. The moment where they had finally come together had been everything that he had been hoping for and he knew that it was something special. They had finally gone to a new level sexually and he could not be happier. He finally had her back where he wanted her.

Standing up from the bed he padded across the hall softly pausing outside the bathroom door. He could see her through the partially open door naked and brushing her hair. He felt a rush of blood to his groin, pushing the door the rest of the way open he went to stand behind her seeing her stunned surprise reflected back at him in the mirror. The sight in front of him was making him harder by the second; he moved his hands up to roughly grab her breasts. All the time he watched her in the mirror his eyes glued to her as she stared back at him. She moaned lightly as she felt his erection pressing into her back. His hands continued to knead roughly at the plump flesh of her breasts, before he slid a hand down to pull her forcefully back even harder against him. She moaned again, as his thumb scraped over the bud of her nipple, her breasts so much more sensitive than normal with her pregnancy. Suddenly he whirled her around to face him, his fingers digging into her hips as he lifted her onto the bench behind her. He entered her then with no further warning watching as her face contorted at the feel of him inside of her. He thrust himself into her as deeply as possible before pulling her off the bench and carrying her to the shower still buried deep inside of her. He pressed her up against the cold tiles holding her in place with his hips as he fumbled around for the handles sending warm water cascading over their bodies. Her legs were wrapped around him as he pounded into her harder and harder with every thrust of his body. He could feel his orgasm building deep inside of him and yearned for release, his hips bucked with the strain as he tried to contain it just a few moments more. If he could just last a few more moments he was sure that she would be right there with him and so he held it, gritting his teeth with the strain.

He felt the movements of her body and knew that she was building towards a climax of her own after so many times together he knew her body almost as well as his own. He withdrew almost all the way out before thrusting into her one last time as hard as he could he heard her scream his name as they both found their release and he exploded inside her.

He allowed her to slide back down his body listening to the sound of her gasping for breath. He pulled back from her when he was sure she had once again regained the use of her legs. He smirked at her briefly "Cory's awake," he said before walking out and back across the hall.

_God_ she thought _how does he do this to me? Its like he touches me and everything else ceases to exist, even Cory. He turns my brain to mush with the slightest little smirk and once his hands are on me_ _I just can't think at all at least not with my head._ She smiled slightly as she admitted to herself that all her thinking was overwhelmed by pure lust. She heard him exit the bedroom minutes later fully dressed and on his way to Cory's room. She rested back against the wall, her legs like jelly before forcing herself up and across the room to where her towel was. Picking it up she wrapped herself in it and set to work drying her hair. The monotonous movement helped her to calm her racing mind and slowly she regained enough control that she felt that she could go downstairs and somehow ignore her urge to rape him in the pantry.

Twenty minutes later she made her way down to the kitchen pausing in the doorway as she saw the three Scott males all going about the business of breakfast. Lucas sat in his wheelchair at the table flicking through the newspaper, Nathan held Cory in one arm as he prepared his bottle chatting to the infant in his arms as he did.

"So you must be hungry hey little man? We need to get some of this milk into you; you got a lot of growing to do if you're going to end up playing basketball like your daddy. But you remember if you want to be the star you just come see me, I'll make sure you have what it takes. Can't rely on your daddy for that, he can't teach you what he doesn't know after all."

Lucas grunted from the table before turning to look at the two of them. "Quit corrupting my son, besides you may be able to teach him stuff about basketball but on everything else I got you beat."

"Oh is that so?" Nathan said laughing clearly enjoying the banter with his brother.

Haley smiled for the first time in so long she truly felt like things were how they should be. Watching Nathan with Cory she could easily imagine this same scenario playing out with their child in just a few months time. Of course with any luck there would be no Lucas there with them then, he would be fully recovered and home with his own family. She wanted this not only for herself but also for them, for Brooke especially. She had always been completely supportive of Haley's relationship with Nathan and now that things finally were once again headed in the right direction she just wanted to do everything she could for Brooke and her little family.

Nathan passed Cory to Lucas along with the bottle and moved back towards the fridge to make his own breakfast. Haley could no longer hold herself back from being with him and walked with quiet excitement bubbling inside of her. Standing beside him she slid her arms around his waist inhaling the scent of his cologne unable to banish the gigantic smile from her face.

He looked down at her before moving away from her embrace, she was slightly surprised but quickly covered it. Placing a hand on his shoulder she stood on tiptoes and purred into his ear "Last night was wonderful but then so was this morning." She said with a slight giggle in her voice. "I can't wait to get you alone again." She told him allowing her tongue to graze his earlobe. She saw his jaw tighten in response and knew her words had had the desired result.

"Haley quit it," he said in a harsh whisper. "I don't know what you think happened between us last night but as far as I'm concerned it was just the culmination of everything that had been brewing with us for the last few weeks. We did it and its over; you were nothing but a release."

Haley sucked in a breath unable to believe the words that were coming from his mouth surely he didn't mean it. Last night they had finally reconnected and she truly believed that it had meant a new start between them. She hadn't expected everything to just fall into place but she had definitely thought that they were at least on the right path to being together properly just like they used to be. Except this time it would have been even better, this time they were older they had life experience, they had been through the tough times and found their way back but the way he was looking at her now all of her hopes flew out the window.

"Nathan," she started to say but he cut her off before she could go any further.

"Look Haley I told you what last night was now if you want that then that's fine hell we can go again right now but don't fool yourself into thinking that this was something more than it was."

Unbeknownst to the two of them Lucas stiffened as he heard their words. Nathan had deliberately kept his voice low not wanting his brother to hear. He knew what Lucas was like especially since he had married Brooke, he was just another one of those pansy ass guys who believed in the power of love, who thought love could overcome all obstacles. But he knew better he knew that there was no such thing as love, he and Haley had fought against so many obstacles and for what. Here he was no better off for all of his efforts.

At that moment hearing the way Nathan had spoken to her Lucas wanted nothing more than to stand up from that chair and deck his brother, knock him to the ground and hopefully in the process knock some sense into that thick head of his. For months he had been a wreck after Haley had left him the first time and then when she had left him again just a few months ago Lucas had seriously feared for him and now here she was back and ready to be with him and he was throwing their chance away. What the hell was wrong with him?

He sneaked a look over his shoulder at the two of them and grimaced. Haley was obviously fighting back tears as Nathan continued with making his breakfast as if nothing had happened. She glanced back at Nathan obviously looking for some sort of sign that maybe she had imagined what had just happened or maybe he hadn't meant those words but he ignored her. Choking back a sob she rushed past the table where Lucas sat and ran out of the room.

Nathan barely even glanced up as she left the room. Closing the flaps on the box of Wheaties he paused for a moment as he realised that Haley must have gone out and bought it for him. She obviously remembered that this had always been his favourite, for a minute he wondered if perhaps he was being unfair to her. But he couldn't allow himself to think that way. There was nothing between them anymore she was simply a body last night and he was not going to let himself think anything more about her. As long as he reminded himself that she was just a body then everything would be fine.

He picked up his bowl and went to the table where Lucas sat with Cory. Sitting down he looked at his brother "So Luke what's the plan for today? I mean I know you're going to want to go to the hospital but what else is happening?"

"Stop right there," Lucas said to him. Nathan looked at him in surprise. "You don't really think I'm going to just sit back and act like you're not being a grade A jackass. Where the hell do you get off treating her like that?"

"Whoa man why don't you just chill out? What the hell do you care about how I treat her? You hardly even know her."

"Maybe Haley and I didn't exactly hang together in High School but I do know that she is one of Brooke's closest friends and that is not something too many people can lay claim too."

Nathan started to speak but Lucas continued over the top of him. "And you want to know what else I know. I know that Haley is one of the best things that ever happened to you. I've seen what you're like without her and man I don't want to have to put up with you like that again. You're a complete asshole when you're not with her."

"Luke why don't you just shut the fuck up? You don't know what the hell you're talking about alright. So why don't you just cut the bullshit. I don't need it and I sure as hell don't want it."

Neither of them heard the door opening both of them far too caught up in their own emotions. She walked across the room stopping in front of the table each of them too busy glaring at each other to even acknowledge her. She cleared her throat loudly but they continued to ignore her finally she had had enough and slammed her hand down on the table. They both turned their glares in her direction.

"What the hell do you want Mom?" Lucas said harshly.

"Well I was hoping to spend some time with my grandson, but perhaps first you can explain to me why the two of you look as if you're about to kill each other?"

"It's nothing," Nathan said harshly.

"Oh well that's just great," Lucas responded "now the future mother of your child is nothing. Hell I don't know which is worse referring to her as just a body or saying that she's nothing."

"Ahhh," Karen said "I should have known. This is about Haley. I don't know what it is about her that gets all you Scott men wrapped around her little finger. God even Dan won't hear a bad word against her. Well like I said I'm here to spend time with Cory so why don't you two figure this all out between the two of you and leave my grandson out of it."

Taking Cory from Lucas she walked out of the room cooing to the baby in her arms as Nathan and Lucas continued to glare at each other. Haley stood at the top of the stairs listening to everything that had been said. She didn't know how things had gone so wrong since she had woken up that morning but she could only hope that things could only get better from here.


	52. The Queen Of Tree Hill Gossip

**A.N Sorry I know its been a bit of a wait again. But I hope you all still enjoy it. This chapter is dedicated to Cathy who is in need of a bit of distraction at the moment. I hope this provides it. I love you girl and I'm thinking of you.Will make no promises on when the next chapter will be posted but I will do my best not to leave it too long. Don't forget to leave me a review.**

**Chapter Forty-nine**

Haley had to get out of there she couldn't stay for another minute listening to Lucas and Nathan fighting about her and then hearing what Karen had said about her it was all just too much. But the thing that kept repeating in her head was Nathan's words to her, him telling her that she had been nothing more than a body. How was she supposed to face him after that, knowing that what had occurred between them the night before, what had seemed so special to her, a chance for a new beginning had been nothing more than sex to him. Then as if that wasn't bad enough he had told her that he was happy to continue that charade, continue using her for sex. But what bothered her the most was that for just one second she had been tempted, tempted to go back into his bed and pretend to herself that things between them were starting again. Or perhaps most ridiculous of all had been the fleeting hope that if she went along with it maybe he would realise that he did still have feelings for her that made her something more to him then simply a body to keep him warm at night.

At first she drove aimlessly unsure of where she should go, she wanted to go to Deb and pour her heart out to the older woman who was so much like a mother to her, but she couldn't do it. How could she tell Nathan's mother that her son had just offered to make her his concubine? Not only would it be humiliating for her to actually say the words out loud but what mother would want to know that their child was capable of that, especially when Haley knew that Deb had been holding on to the hope that the two of them would find their way back together. On impulse she turned the car in the direction of the hospital Brooke was the person she needed to talk to more than anyone else.

She walked to the room mentally composing herself for the talk with her best friend. She wanted to gauge how the brunette was feeling before she spilled all of her problems to her. Brooke had enough of her own problems to deal with and if Haley thought for the slightest moment that she was not well enough to deal with everything that had happened between her and Nathan then she would not say a word to her about it. But if she knew Brooke as well as she thought she did then Brooke would be more interested in knowing what was happening between Nathan and her then anything happening in her own life. She wasn't referred to as the gossip queen of Tree Hill for nothing.

Stepping inside she looked up expecting to see Brooke sitting up in bed but instead was surprised to find the bed empty. Surely Brooke wasn't already up and about. Walking back out to the nurses' desk she asked the woman sitting there where Brooke was. After being informed that she had been taken to another floor so the doctors could run more tests she went back to the room sitting down to wait.

Distractedly she glanced around the bare room looking for something to fill the time until Brooke returned. She knew she could turn on the TV if she wanted to but she had never been a big fan of spending her time staring at a box when there were much more productive things she could be doing. The only problem was that right now there wasn't a whole lot else for her to be doing. She stood up going to check the multitude of flower arrangements Brooke had received during her time in hospital but found them already filled with water. She flicked through the array of get well cards that lined the shelves but found nothing to catch her attention. Stepping back from the display of love for Brooke she caught her elbow on the edge of the hospital bed and grimaced in pain. Rubbing it gently she grimaced again as she realised that the bruise that had formed there was not caused by her actions just moments before but rather from what had occurred last night. Although she had been unaware of it at the time when he had pushed her up against that wall in the hallway she had hit her elbow against it hard and it had left a mark. At the time though she had been too intent on what was happening between them to even notice.

Feeling his mouth at her breast as his hand had stroked at her centre had been almost more than she could take and yet it was something that she would never ever want to prevent. That mouth of his alone could drive her almost to the brink on insanity but when coupled with the amazing things he could do with his hands and his fingers it was a wonder she didn't melt into a puddle every time she as much as looked at his hands. Everything that had occurred between them had felt so right and so good. How could anything that good possibly be not meant to be? No matter how much they had both fought against the knowledge in the past she knew that they were destined to end up together. He was probably just scared of the intensity of what had happened between them the night before, few people liked to feel that out of control in their day to day lives, but if she could just show him that it was ok to feel that way around her and in fact that she felt the same then surely things would be ok between them. She knew that she was perhaps being overly optimistic but she could not bring herself to give up hope. If she didn't cling to that hope then she had very little left. _Yes _she told herself _things are going to work out between us._

A small smile drifted across her face as she allowed her mind to drift back over what had happened in that shower less than two hours ago. How could things not work out between them when they shared such passion for each other? But the thing that inspired the most hope in her was the memory of what had happened after they had devoured each other in the hall the night before, the way he had picked her up so gently and carried her to the bedroom. Her arms had wrapped around his neck and she had heard his heart pounding beneath her ear as she pressed her head against his chest. When he had reached the bed he had placed her down and slid in next to her before falling asleep almost instantly, wrapping herself around him she too had fallen asleep content in the knowledge that they were once again starting afresh.

A sharp jab in her stomach broke her from her daydream and destroyed the pretence that she had embroiled herself in. Her baby's kick reminded her of just why she and Nathan may not ever make it back together. His words from that morning to Lucas flashed through her mind but the words that screamed the loudest were what Lucas had said back to him. _Oh well that's just great now the future mother of your child is nothing. Hell I don't know which is worse referring to her as just a body or saying that she's nothing._ Although Nathan had said nothing to reiterate Lucas' words or even acknowledge them that silence had told Haley more than any amount of words could. Because quite simply he had done nothing to deny what Lucas had said and that hurt more than anything. If Nathan believed that she was nothing then what did that say about their baby. Was their baby nothing to him also? This tiny little human growing inside of her a part of them both if he saw her as nothing then how could he claim to feel anything different for their baby. It was a part of her and she was a part of it. Tears welled in her eyes as she realised that perhaps her return to Tree Hill may have been the worst thing that could ever have happened. But she needed to stop thinking like that. No matter what had happened between her and Nathan she needed to be here for Brooke, Lucas and Cory they were what was important here. What had she been thinking anyway trying to reconstruct her relationship with Nathan using only sex? Then when he had offered her a relationship based on nothing more she had been appalled. Was she really any better than him? Sure she may have hoped that it would lead somewhere else but the simple fact was that she had given him reason to possibly believe that that was all she was interested in.

The tears now were no longer content to simply fill her eyes and they spilled down her cheeks, Lucas' words repeating over and over again in her mind followed by Nathan's silence. She had at first tried to tell herself that Nathan had simply not been given the opportunity to respond as Karen had interrupted and if there was one person that could be counted upon to enforce negative views of Haley then it was Lucas' mother. Although she had not known her well in the years she had spent growing up in Tree Hill she had always felt uncomfortable in the older woman's presence. Her café had been one of the most popular hang outs with the teens of Tree Hill and Haley had been there on many occasions but she had always felt a certain air of disapproval towards her from Karen. The way she had almost spat her name this morning when speaking to the Scott brothers had not really come as a surprise to Haley nor the venom behind the older woman's words. What had surprised her had been the words themselves. The very idea that Karen was jealous or indeed envious of the way she related to the Scott men defied belief. It was just one more thing to add to the growing list of signs that her return to Tree Hill had been a mistake.

She hastily attempted to wipe away the tears as she heard Brooke's voice in the hall. The orderlies were obviously bringing her back to the room and from the sound of Brooke's voice she was less than happy about the manner in which they were doing it.

"Hey I've got a great idea," Brooke said in a saccharine sweet voice "Why don't you morons see if you can actually manage to get me back into the room without running into any more walls?"

They managed to get her into the room without further mishap and Brooke applauded them sarcastically. "Will somebody give these guys a medal?" Looking up she spotted Haley and her frown disappeared to be replaced by a brilliant smile until she saw her tear streaked face and the smile disappeared.

"Tutor Girl what is it? What's wrong?"

Haley attempted to smile reassuringly as the lie that she was fine formed on her lips but before she could utter the words Brooke glared at her.

"Don't you even think about lying to me Tutor Girl, now tell me what the hell that Jackass of a Brother-In-Law of mine did now."

"Brooke don't worry about it. You shouldn't be getting yourself worked up about things."

"Haley don't you dare start telling me what I should or should not be doing. I get enough of that from all these damn doctors and nurses. What the hell do they know about anything anyway?"

Haley flinched not so much at the tone and shrillness of Brooke's voice but more at the fact that Brooke was so angry. There was no doubting the strength of her anger when she called Haley by her actual name.

"I'm going to kick that man's ass if he's done something to upset you, paralysed or not."

"Brooke what are you talking about? What paralysis?"

"Forget about that Tutor Girl we've got bigger fish to fry."

"But Brooke," she interjected.

"Haley," Brooke said warningly "don't you make me use the cripple guilt card to get you to spill whatever it is that has you so upset."

"Brooke," she tried to interrupt.

"No," the brunette snapped "you tell me what the hell that idiot brother in law has done this time."

Haley stared at her she wanted desperately to find out what Brooke's talk of paralysis had been about but she knew Brooke well enough to know that if Brooke didn't want to talk about it then she damn well wouldn't. She sighed "Alright Brooke how about we compromise I'll tell you what's been happening with me and Nathan but only if you promise to tell me the truth about your condition as soon as I'm done."

Brooke considered her words and Haley mentally prepared herself for the extreme possibility that Brooke would refuse her request. Brooke was nothing if not stubborn.

"Alright deal," Brooke agreed "but this had better be juicy."

Haley sighed once again "Juicy yeah that's one word for it."

Suddenly Brooke paused staring incredulously at Haley. "Oh my God I just figured it out. The night of the accident Lucas got a phone call calling him Mr Scott and telling him that he was going to be a father. I thought the call was meant for Dan but it wasn't it was meant for Nathan. Whoever the hell it was that made that call they were calling to tell Nathan that you were pregnant."

Haley stared at her blankly. "What phone call?" she asked quizzically.

"It doesn't matter," Brooke said "and quit trying to change the subject. Now from the top I want to know everything and don't you even think about leaving anything out."

Haley remained silent truly not knowing where to start.

"Haley come on," Brooke said in a wheedling tone "you know that my love of hearing all of Tree Hill's scandal is what drives me in life so come on spill to the Queen. Don't you think it's bad enough that I'm stuck here in this bed are you seriously going to deprive me of this too? I'm away from my husband and my baby." She said pouting knowing that there was no way Haley would be able to resist when she gave her that look.

So Haley told her. She told her everything and left nothing out. Brooke sat there in stunned silence as Haley explained about Tim and about Schapelle, she gasped in shock as the truth came out about Josh and when she finished for the first time in memory she found Brooke was left speechless. Not that it lasted long of course as soon as she had a chance to process it, a rant unlike any Haley had seen from Brooke before (which was saying something) spewed forth from her mouth.

"You cannot be serious," she said. "That asswipe actually said that to you. He told you that you were nothing but a body. That self righteous, arrogant piece of…."

"Brooke," Haley tried to interrupt.

"No you let me finish. I'm telling you now that fool better not come anywhere near here because if I see him I'm going to brain him."

"Brooke calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down Haley. I swear I'm going to kick that man's ass from here to New Mexico, I'm going to string him up by his balls, I'm going to cut off his…"

"Brooke please," Haley begged not sure how much more she could listen to. All she wanted at that moment was to try and forget about what Nathan had said and as much as Brooke meant well hearing her tirade was only serving to remind Haley even more strongly of what Nathan had said and done. It was a mistake to talk to Brooke about it just as it would have been a mistake to talk to anyone else. Plus she knew that Nathan was not the only one at fault in this scenario and she could not allow Brooke to continue to put all the blame on him.

"Please Brooke; I just can't hear this right now. I know you're just trying to be supportive and you mean well but I just… I'm sorry I just can't do this right now. Can we just talk about something else? Tell me what the doctors have said."

"Ha the Doctors forget about them. They don't know anything." But Haley could see the worry behind her eyes and the genuine fear that things were not going to be ok.

Brooke looked away for the moment and then turned back to meet Haley's eyes briefly. "I can't feel my legs. They've been running tests but so far they haven't really given me a reason for it." She tried to smile at Haley but it didn't hold the same warmth that it normally would have and Haley could see that it was forced.

"Oh Brooke I'm so sorry but I'm sure this will just be temporary. Before you know it you'll be home chasing around after Cory. I know it." She said trying to convey a certainty in her words, a certainty that she struggled to feel.

Haley looked at her watch it was getting later into the morning and she knew that Nathan would be bringing Lucas and Cory to the hospital soon and she knew that she could not be there when they arrived. She needed some space from Nathan to try and sort out her feelings before she saw him again. Standing up she looked regretfully at Brooke "I have to go but I'll try to come by again later. Ok?"

She started to move towards the door but Brooke's voice halted her. "Haley I need one thing from you before you go. I need to know the truth from you. How are Lucas and Cory really?"

"Cory's great Brooke, he's growing every day and he is such a good baby." As she gushed on about the baby she saw Brooke's face brighten instantly before once again descending into a frown.

"Haley I know something is up with Lucas but he won't tell me. Please I know he's trying to protect me but I hate the way everyone keeps treating me like I should be wrapped in cotton wool. He's my husband Haley and if he's hurting I need to know why."

Haley looked at her wanting to tell her that everything is fine but she couldn't do it. She opened her mouth to speak as the images of Karen and Dan flashed through her mind. She didn't know what to tell her. Once again she opened her mouth to try and speak but before she could another voice sounded from behind her.

"Perhaps I should tell you."

Haley turned to look and found Deb standing behind her. Deb looked at her in concern for a moment noticing the evidence of recent tears.

"Haley are you ok?" she asked her concern evident.

"I'm fine Deb; I just really need to go now?"

"Haley wait," Brooke called after her but Haley was gone.

Deb turned back to Brooke, "Do you mind telling me what all of that was about."

"I'd be only too happy to." Brooke told her "but first I need you to tell me what's going on with my husband. Then we can talk about your idiot of a son."

"Oh God what has he done now?"

"We'll get to that," Brooke said testily "but I've been waiting long enough it's time somebody told me what the hell is going on around here."

"I knew it," Brooke said triumphantly when Deb had finished her explanation of what had been occurring.

Seeing the look on her face she had the decency to look chastened for a moment. "Sorry Deb you know that I wouldn't wish anything like this on you, but I just knew there was something bothering Lucas."

"Why should he be bothered?" Deb asked disbelievingly. "Surely this is every little boys dream come true to see his parents reunited."

"Yes that may be," Brooke agreed "but my husband is no little boy and he grew out of that hope a long time ago. He really cares about you Deb and I know for a fact that the idea of Dan and Karen together must be appalling to him. God just the thought of it is enough to make me want to throw up. So I can only imagine how you must be feeling."

"Yes well I guess I've just been trying not to think about it too much, you know concentrate on other things."

"God," Brooke said throwing her hands up into the air. "What is it with people in this town and wanting to spend their lives in denial? You may as well just all bury your heads in the sand and be done with it."

"Brooke what about you? How is the recovery going? I guess I've been sort of left out of the loop a bit lately."

"Me, ah I'm fine," she said evasively. "Now didn't you want to know about Haley and that son of yours?" she asked deliberately deviating Deb's attention away from her and talk of her predicament.

Deb stared at her hardly for a moment, she could all to well see through Brooke's tactics but as much as she wanted to demand the truth from her, her own need to know what had been occurring between her son and Haley overwhelmed that desire.

"Go ahead," she said resigning to herself that she would get the truth out of her later. It was obvious that Haley and herself were not the only ones that were burying their heads in the sand. Brooke was more than a little guilty of that herself.

By the time Nathan arrived with Lucas and Cory twenty minutes later Deb was bristling with fury. They came into the room together a certain tension evident between the brothers. Nathan looked relieved to be entering the room that was of course until he saw the glares being directed at him from Brooke and Deb and he knew at that moment that Haley had been there before him.

Deb stood before him poking a finger into his chest "I think you and I need to have a talk and I'm sure Brooke would appreciate some time alone with her family. Let's go." She demanded almost pushing him out into the hall.

Nathan opened his mouth to speak but didn't manage to form any words before Deb began. "Don't you say a word unless you are about to tell me that you had some sort of brain malfunction this morning that led to you talking to Haley that way. Either that or you had better tell me that I've somehow been given the wrong information because I refuse to believe that any child of mine could ever speak to another human being that way let alone the soon to be mother of your child."

"Mom you need to butt out this has nothing to do with you. I had my reasons ok."

"Nathan there is no reason that you could possibly give to justify that sort of behaviour. This is not how I raised you."

"Mom for Christ's sake just back off why don't you?"

"I will not back off Nathan this is not a situation you can expect me to just sit back and let you destroy your life and the life of Haley and that baby."

Deb could see Nathan's anger building and she was not surprised her son's first reaction at any time when he felt he was being backed into a corner was to lash out at those around him. Deb stepped in closer to her son once again poking a finger into his chest. "Listen to me Nathan and make sure you hear every word I'm saying. You need to find a way to put this right Nathan because you better believe me that if you don't there is going to be hell to pay."


	53. A Woman On A Mission

**A.N Hi all sorry for the delay in updating this. I actually expected to have this chapter up a lot sooner but then just when I was almost finished I got distracted by starting a new story. Its called A Time Best Forgotten and the first two chapters have been posted on this site so if you haven't done so already please check it out and give me your thoughts. Naturally I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this chapter too and now that I have more than one story on the go I am probably going to be a little slower with updates so don't forget that reviews will definitely encourage me to update quicker. Enjoy the new chap, hopefully I'll have the next one up within the week.**

**Chapter Fifty**

Nathan watched as Deb stalked away down the hall and heaved a sigh of relief. He couldn't remember another time in his life that he had ever been so relieved to see the back of his mother. He turned towards the room looking in at Lucas and Brooke and the smiles of pure joy on their faces as together they experienced for the first time being parents. At that moment all he wanted to do was go into that room and somehow allow himself to become enveloped in the warmth that exuded from them. But he knew it was a false hope for the moment he entered that room that feeling of warmth would disappear and he would once again find himself the outcast.

He wasn't totally sure how it had happened, how he had become the bad guy in this scenario. Sure maybe what he had said to Haley that morning had been slightly harsh but he wouldn't have said it if he didn't have reason. But the truth was that when she had walked into that kitchen that morning and put her arms around him like that he had completely freaked out. All of the unresolved issues from the past had flashed through his head, all the lies, the half truths, the missed opportunities but most of all had been the words. The venomous words exchanged between them, the way they were so capable of hurting each other with just a few simple words.

How could they bring a child into a world between them that was constantly hanging in the balance, neither one of them ever knowing when something would happen to once again upset the applecart? That was not the sort of environment he wanted his child to be brought into and if it meant that they had to be apart then so be it. He had woken up that morning and known what he had to do unfortunately though he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He had heard the sound of the shower running and all thoughts of sitting down and having an honest discussion with Haley had flown out the window. All he had been able to think about was how she would look naked and wet with the water flowing over her body. And so despite his best intentions his libido had over ruled his head and he had gone into that bathroom with her and lost himself inside of her.

When it was over for the first time he felt what it was like to actually hate himself, to be so disgusted with his own actions that he couldn't even bare to look in the mirror. What sort of person was he when he could knowingly sleep with a woman that he had no intention of pursuing a relationship with? A woman that he had known most of his life and who even at this moment was pregnant with his child. She wasn't just some random woman that he picked up in a bar and slaked his urges with, this was Haley and she was worth so much more than that.

So when she had come into the kitchen so obviously happy and full of hope he had pushed her away. Pushed her away out of fear but also out of the knowledge that if he didn't he would hurt her worse than he ever had before. The words that had spilled forth from his mouth calling her nothing but a release he wasn't even sure where they had come from but he had known instinctively that they would have the desired result. There was no way that Haley would continue to torment him with her body if she thought that it was leading nowhere. He knew her well enough to know that her actions over the past few weeks had been aimed at somehow rekindling their relationship and not just about sex as they would have appeared to the outside eye. But there had been a moment there when he had seen a look flash through her eyes, a look that overrode her hurt and it had terrified him because just for a moment he had seen temptation in her eyes, temptation to agree to his insane proposal and that was the moment that he knew that Haley was unlike any other woman he had ever known. He knew that she had actually considered it and that scared him more than anything else ever could because Haley was willing to consider doing something like that, something that went against everything that she believed in just to be with him. The fact that she had however briefly considered degrading herself like that had been like a knife inside his heart. He didn't know what he would have done if that brief moment of insanity hadn't passed and she hadn't rejected him because he wasn't sure that he would have had the strength to turn away from her if she had decided that being treated like that was worth it just to be with him.

His life was a mess and he had no idea what to do to put it back together. All he knew was that he and Haley were in no position to be restarting their relationship not with the yawning chasm of mistrust between them. Not when there was so much at stake between them. If they were going to give their relationship another go then they had to be sure that they could make it work and at that moment he couldn't remember ever being less sure of anything.

He was broken out of his thoughts by a nurse pushing past him to enter the room. "Mr Scott are you ready? I'll take you and your son down to get his check up now."

Nathan started in surprise "Luke where are you going?" he asked unable to ignore the sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach that told him he was about to be thrown into the lions den.

"Have to take Cory for his check up," Lucas answered his face a picture of innocence.

Nathan glanced nervously at Brooke who was glaring at him from her place in the hospital bed. "Well uh why don't I take you down? I'm sure the nurse has other things she needs to be doing."

"You're not going anywhere Mister," Brooke spoke up determined to make herself heard. "You and I need to have a little chat."

For a moment Nathan actually felt a small sliver of fear pass through him before he banished it. This was Brooke after all sure she could give him a tongue lashing like few other people were capable of but they were just words he could deal with it. Sauntering into the room he looked Brooke directly in the eye "What would you like to talk about Brooke?" he asked his tone blasé.

"Don't you give me that," she screeched. "I can't believe that you would do that to her. What the hell were you thinking?"

"Brooke look it's none of your business ok, what goes on between me and Haley is our business and has nothing to do with you."

"Like hell it doesn't," Brooke said her fury with him bubbling over. "For months I've been forced to sit back and watch as you two do everything in your power to push each other away and I like just about everyone else am completely sick of it. Where has it gotten you Nate? How many times do we have to listen to the two of you insisting that this time its really over just to have the two of you try again? What I don't get though Nathan is how the two of you think you're ever going to be able to make a go of this relationship when neither one of you will speak your mind."

Nathan stared at her mutely he knew his sister in law well enough to know that there was no point trying to break into her tirade. His best bet was just to wait her out; he could only hope that she would tire a bit quicker now while she was still in the process of recuperation. He had known her to go on for more than an hour with barely a pause to draw breath. With any luck she would run out of breath after 20 minutes or so.

"I refuse to believe that you don't love her so what the hell was with the disgusting way you spoke to her this morning?"

Nathan looked up at her in surprise as she paused seemingly waiting for an answer he gaped at her as he tried to find any sort of words that would satisfy the feisty brunette now glaring at him thoughtfully.

"I uh….I…" he stopped not knowing what to say.

"Oh my God," she said a sudden flash of inspiration flashing across her face. "I know exactly what this is about."

_Oh great,_ Nathan thought _well this is bound to be good._

"You're scared." She said triumphantly pleased with herself for seeing through him. "That's what this has been all about hasn't it? You're afraid so you're just doing what every man does and pushing her away. God men, I'll never understand them."

Nathan didn't know what to say or even more to the point if there was anything he could say. He knew that any attempts by him to tell Brooke that she was wrong and imagining things would be contemptuously dismissed. In her own mind Brooke Davis-Scott was never wrong and even if she was well she would never admit to it.

"Ok," Brooke said thoughtfully "So you're scared now what are you going to do about it?"

"I'm not going to do a damn thing about it," Nathan said finally regaining the use of his voice. "I may be scared as you seem so determined to believe but I'm also right and Haley and I are just not meant to be. All we do is hurt each other when we're together."

"Yeah well that was all well and good when there were only the two of you to consider but now you have a baby on the way and for its sake you need to find a way to figure this out."

"Yeah we have a baby on the way but you know what that only strengthens my belief that we are doing the right thing. No baby deserves to be brought into a messed up situation like the one that exists between me and Hales now. Hell I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. I'll find a way to make up to her for what I said this morning but as far as I'm concerned she and I can only ever be friends. There's been far too much shit that's happened between us in the past for us to ever even consider being anything more."

"Come off it Nathan who are you trying to kid. You and Haley may be a lot of things but friends is not one of them. There is no way you could ever be just her friend."

"Watch me," Nathan said determinedly. "You just watch and see. Anything else between us is just far too screwed up. I'm going to do what's best for all of us myself, Haley and our baby and the best thing I can do is just to be her friend."

"Nathan please just think about this. You have a chance to make a life together as a family don't throw it away now. Not when you're this close to having everything you ever wanted."

"But that's just it Brooke at the moment it feels like I'm further away then I've ever been before. I've been kidding myself thinking that Haley and I could ever recapture what we once had. We had our chance and we blew it and if we don't stop now while we still at least have a friendship then we are going to find ourselves with nothing and I don't want that for us or for our child."

As much as Brooke hated to admit it she could see his point at that moment not that that meant that she agreed with him. She still believed that they would find a way to be together. When two people were as perfect for each other as Nathan and Haley were how could they not find their way back together.


	54. When The Trust Is Gone What's Left?

**A.N Ok I know it has been a ridiculously long wait between updates but I can finally say that I am back and I have an update for you all...Its not an exceptionally long chapter but was basically me finding my feet with this story again after so long of not writing it...I'm hoping now that I've actually started writing this again that the chapters will flow again and I'll have another update to offer you very soon...Hope you're all still interested in the story...Don't punish me too much for making you wait so long...**

**Chapter Fifty-one**

Nathan pulled into the drive dreading entering the house. He could see Haley's car parked out the front and knew she was home. It was time for him to try and get this friend thing happening although at that particular moment he didn't have the slightest idea how to go about it. He glanced at his watch and knew he had to get a move on if he wanted to have this conversation without Lucas hanging around. There was less than an hour until visiting hours ended at the hospital. Sighing to himself he stepped out of the car. He needed to get this over with before he lost his nerve.

He walked inside not noticing her at first sitting on the sofa watching him. When he looked up his face twisted in anger as he saw the suitcase on the floor beside her.

"Let me guess, you're planning to run away again. Why am I even surprised? It's what you do best after all. God Haley every time things get a little bit tough you run. Well why don't you just get out of here? Lucas and I will manage somehow."

Haley looked at him not sure how to respond. She had thought after what had occurred between them that morning that this would be what he wanted. She couldn't begin to imagine why he would want her to stay after everything that had happened.

"I uh…." She stopped trying to find the words to say what she needed to. "I didn't think you wanted me here after what happened this morning."

"Since when does it even matter what I want Haley. You didn't bother to consult me before you left any of the times before. What are you trying to tell me that you actually give a fuck what I want now?" He could hear the words spilling from his mouth and knew that this was not what he had come here for and yet he felt powerless to stop them. Seeing her so obviously ready to leave him yet again had ignited a fire deep inside of him. He had been angry with her before but not like this.

"God you are selfish," he yelled at her. "Do you ever think of anyone but yourself? You claim to care so much about Brooke, Lucas and the baby and yet at the first little upset here you are ready to run away again."

"Nathan of course I care about them," she tried to interrupt but he didn't want to hear it.

"Well this is some way to show it," he spat at her. "So where are you planning to go this time? Planning to run back to good old Josh? If you are then I suggest you get in line from what I've heard his bed hasn't exactly remained empty in your absence although I guess you'll be the only woman waiting to get in there."

She stared at him in shock. It sounded as if he knew about Josh and his sexuality but how could that be possible? No-one had known. She hadn't even suspected until she was confronted with the shocking truth and she had thought she was closer to him than anyone, certainly a lot closer to him than Nathan could have ever claimed to be. Surely Josh hadn't confided his secret in Nathan.

Nathan could see the look of confusion on her face and instantly guessed the reason for it.

"Did you really think I hadn't noticed Haley? God you'd have to be blind not to see what was going on there but I guess no-one could ever accuse you of being good at reading people around you. You couldn't even see what was right in front of you when we were together. You couldn't see that I would have done anything for you and supported you no matter what. You were too blinded by your own insecurities to see how much I love…" he paused for a moment before continuing "loved you."

But Haley had caught the slip in his speech and for a moment her heart lifted in hope. _Could it be true that Nathan actually did still love her? Did they still have a chance? _But as quickly as she felt her hopes lift they came crashing down again. She couldn't ignore what he had said mere hours before telling her that she was nothing more than a release. That was hardly something a man in love would tell her.

She had been stupid earlier thinking that if they could just reconnect physically then perhaps the emotional connection would follow. It had been naïve and she knew that now.

Coming out of her thoughts she saw him watching her obviously waiting for a response.

"Well," he said harshly. "What are you waiting for? Do you need my help taking your suitcase out to the car? Hey if it means getting you out of here faster I'll be only too happy to oblige."

"Nathan I'm just trying to make things easier on everyone. It's not good for Lucas or especially Cory to be surrounded by such tension. That's one of the reasons I'm going but there is another one. I'm going for you Nathan…" She continued ignoring the sharp bark of laughter that escaped his lips at her statement.

"I'm going because I can't stand to hurt you anymore and that man I saw this morning was not the Nathan I know….," she paused "or I guess to put it more accurately knew. I guess I don't really know you that well anymore do I Nathan? You've changed so much from who you were all those years ago and I know that I'm responsible for that and it tears me up Nathan, it tears me up more than you could possibly imagine. You have no idea how sorry I am for everything that happened, but I guess that doesn't really matter does it? I'm sorry is just a phrase. People say it every day but how many actually mean it. I mean it Nathan, but I'm not even sure if that matters to you. I think I should go. It's up to you and Lucas to decide whether or not you still want my help taking care or Cory. If you do then I'm happy to come around during the day and do whatever you need but if you decide that you would rather get a nurse or a nanny then I'll deal with that."

Nathan looked at her weighing up his options for a moment before he spoke. "Where would you go?" he asked quietly.

"I gave your mom a call a little while ago. She's just rattling around in that big house all alone and I think she could do with the company. It's really hit her hard what happened with Karen and Dan. She told me that it was ok for me to come and stay with her for however long I need."

Nathan looked at her surprised; she seemed to have really thought this through. This wasn't just some hare brained scheme. She really thought that this was the best thing for all of them. This was the last thing he had expected and he wasn't even sure what the correct response from him should be. He had come here wanting to talk to her about how they needed to put aside all of their tensions and try to be friends for the sake of their unborn child and somehow he had ended up completely losing it with her again.

The sight of that suitcase had terrified him. The thought that she might once again disappear from his life and take their child with her had sent him over the edge. It had clearly shown him that the feelings of animosity he felt towards Haley were not going to be so easy to just put aside or ignore. He wanted them to just go to being friends but could they really do that after everything that had happened. As much as it pained him to admit it, he didn't trust her, and this afternoon had proven that to him once again.

He wasn't even sure anymore what was the best course of action, if he let her walk away again was he doing it for the right reasons or was he letting his own hurt feelings get in the way of doing what was best for Lucas and Cory. He didn't even know for sure that having her here was best for them but it was hard to ignore the bond that Haley and that baby had formed in the last few weeks. The only thing he knew for sure was that he couldn't do it all alone but then Haley had offered him an alternative. He could hire a stranger to come into the house and care for them. Some woman who would take on all the jobs that Haley had performed with such love could be done by a professional, someone there simply to earn a wage. The thought turned his stomach.

Haley was still watching him and he knew she was waiting for his decision for him to tell her one way or the other whether she was still welcome in the house. Although she had told him she was going to leave he could sense her hesitation and knew she was waiting for him to tell her that he didn't want her to go.

God why did it have to be so hard? Why couldn't he just tell her to get the fuck out and never come back? He knew the answer to that question though or at least one of the answers, The Baby. There was no way he was going to miss out on the chance to know another one of his children and if he sent her away now that was a chance he took. Sure she said that she was only going to go to Deb's but she had lied to him in the past. What was to say that she wouldn't do it again?

Haley looked at him and somehow without words she knew what he was thinking.

"Nathan I promise you that I'm not going anywhere. I'm not going to keep you away from this baby."

He wanted to believe her so much but something inside him just wouldn't let him go there. He had been so badly hurt by her in the past could he really open himself up to that possibility again.

"Look Haley it's really not my decision to make. This is Lucas' house and he and Brooke wanted you here. They wanted us to take care of Cory if they weren't able to and you know as well as I do that at the moment they just can't do it."

"I didn't say that I was going to desert Cory, Nathan but I think it might be better for me to take on more of a side role. Perhaps just helping out when you're unable to take care of him yourself or just being Aunty Haley and coming to visit him each day. You can just hire a nanny and get someone who actually knows what they're doing to take care of him."

"Damn it Haley, I don't want a nanny and I think it's a pretty safe bet that Brooke sure as hell wouldn't want some nanny taking care of her child. She and Lucas chose us for a reason Haley and I think it's the least we can do for them. We just need to put aside our shit for their sakes and get on with it. I've just about used up all of my leave for work and Frank needs me back next week. I would just feel better about it if you were going to be here each day."

"I can be here during the day Nathan, but it would be better if I don't live here. You and I need some space from each other and we can't get that with me living here."

"Do what you think is best," he told her "just as long as you know that no-one here is forcing you to do this. If you want to continue to stay here than I have no problem with that and if you choose to leave well I can't stop you but whatever you do Haley don't try to run from me again. If you leave town without telling me again I will look for you and you better believe that I won't stop until I find you. I'm not going to let you keep one of my children from me again."

She looked at him wondering if there was any point trying to reassure him once again that she had no intention of leaving town again and that she wouldn't dream of not allowing him to know this baby growing inside of her but knew it was pointless. He wasn't simply going to take her word for it. She needed to regain his trust and she could only do that with actions and not words. She felt a determination sweep through her at his words, she was going to do whatever it took to make him trust her again, not so much for the sake of their relationship, she no longer held any hopes in that direction but for the sake of their child.

"Do you need help taking your suitcase out to the car?" he asked, "I really need to get back to the hospital to get Lucas and Cory. I assume I'll see you in the morning."

She nodded and followed him out to the car wondering exactly where this latest development was leading them now. She could only hope that it was somewhere good.

Nathan loaded her suitcase into the back of the car and hoped that he had made the right decision but he knew that only time would tell.


	55. The Depths Of Denial

**A.N Finally I'm back with a new chapter for you all. I hope you all think its up to standard. This story has taken a bit of a different direction from what I originally anticipated but I think its still one that you will enjoy. So here it is please let me know what you all think.**

**Chapter Fifty-two**

**The Depths Of Denial**

Haley arrived the next morning completely unsure of what she should expect. The night at Deb's had been uneventful although she had known that Deb had wanted to talk she had somehow managed to avoid it. There was no doubt in her mind that Deb meant well but still there was only so much she could take and at the moment a conversation about where things stood with her and Nathan was not something she was ready for.

It felt strange to ring the doorbell of a house that she had spent more than a month treating as her own and yet she knew she didn't belong here. This was Brooke and Lucas' home and they wanted Nathan there, yes they may have wanted her to stay there originally but she had chosen to leave and although she had spent most of the night doubting this decision she couldn't back down on it now.

The door opened and she felt herself inhaling deeply trying to prepare herself for what Nathan's reaction might be. The truth was she didn't know how he would greet her or if in fact he would even speak to her. Nathan was not exactly one of the most talkative people at the best of times and this could hardly be considered to be a good time.

Finally the door was pulled back and she looked up into Nathan's face as he stood regarding her stonily. Cory was in his arms and Haley couldn't help the smile that came to her face at the sight of the baby in his arms. She was amazed how much she had missed the baby in only one night away from him but the fact was she had. Other emotions warred within her at the sight of Nathan holding Cory in his arms. It never failed to touch her in ways that she would rather not think about. There was too much possibility of pain if she allowed herself to delve into the feelings it brought out in her. It was safer to just push it all aside while promising herself that she would think about it later but later never seemed to come and for that she was eternally grateful. She had become more than adept at putting off the difficult things for another time and saw no reason to change this now.

"Well," Nathan's voice interrupted her, "Are you going to come in?" he asked stepping aside to allow her into the house.

Dragging her gaze away from Nathan and Cory she stepped past him into the house unable to resist the temptation to inhale deeply and allow the smell of his cologne to overwhelm her senses. If he noticed her odd behaviour he didn't say anything and she continued past him into the kitchen where Lucas sat finishing his breakfast.

"Hey Haley, we missed you last night," he said looking pointedly at Nathan.

Haley looked up and saw the daggers shooting between the brothers and wondered about the obvious tension between the two of them. Maybe Brooke wasn't the only one trying to push them back together it appeared that she had enlisted the help of her husband also. Nathan almost looked like he was going to explode and she spoke quickly not wanting or needing to hear it all again. She could almost predict word for word the argument that would ensue between the brothers if she didn't intervene and the last thing she wanted right now was to be reminded of just how Nathan felt about her.

"Oh I'm sure you all managed just fine without me," she said breezily, "besides it was nice to actually have another woman to chat to," she lied easily wondering at the same time why she felt the need to lie to them. After-all it was her lying that had got her into so much trouble in the first place, not that such a simple white lie as the one she had just told was likely to have far reaching consequences but still for some reason she found lies creeping out and it unnerved her to know that it seemed her first instinct still seemed to be to fib. She had always found a way to convince herself that when she lied she was doing it for the good of the other person, she had done it to 'protect' Nathan in the past and to make Josh feel more secure, even now she told herself that she was doing it to smooth things over between the brothers but that didn't make it right.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts she walked to Nathan taking Cory from his arms ignoring the way both Lucas and Nathan were watching her clearly interested to see just how things would be different now that she was simply a visitor in the house.

"Well little man, how about we go and get you dressed?" she said to the baby smiling as she saw the way he reacted to the sound of her voice, turning his head in her direction, a hand coming out to swat at her hair. At least one male in this house was happy to see her and didn't hold an ulterior motive for wanting her here. She walked out of the room taking Cory with her leaving two bemused men behind her.

"I still can't believe you let her move out," Lucas said as soon as she was out of earshot.

"Here we go again," Nathan said with a sigh. "What exactly is it you think I could have done Luke. Believe me Haley is not someone who can have her mind changed easily once she has decided something."

"Yeah well that was obvious when she left last time. Brooke must have called her just about every day trying everything under the sun to convince her to come back and nothing worked. I don't think Brooke could quite believe that someone was actually able to refuse her when she started to use the three B's."

"The three B's?" Nathan broke in curiously.

"Yeah Bitching, Bribery and Begging. Believe me I can never survive the first one without giving her whatever she wants never mind the other two. But you've got a weapon that Brooke never had."

"Oh yeah and what's that?" Nathan asked sardonically. "Nah let me guess I'm supposed to give her the gift of love, use this whole amazing love that the two of us are supposed to have, play the 'we're meant to be together forever' card. Well you know what Luke I'm sick of hearing you and Brooke and my Mom and whoever else feels like adding their two cents telling me that she's the only girl I'll ever love. God this is the real world not some stupid love story. She's no Juliet and I sure as hell ain't any Romeo. We'll be friends and be whatever we need to be for that baby but that's it Luke, we're never going to get back together. I can't do it again and you know what there's no point, all we've ever done is hurt each other. We'll both be better off when we find someone else and move the hell on."

"What? Don't tell me you really believe that. You really think you're going to find another woman who can make you feel the way Haley does? Are you insane or just plain delusional? Have you forgotten that I was here when Haley left and you fell apart? I know that you barely even looked at another woman in all those years that she was gone. God even when you did go on a date you always managed to find something wrong with the woman. Remember Claire, great girl, gorgeous face, built like a swimsuit model and despite expectations she actually had a brain, you went out with her for two weeks and then came out with some shit about how you didn't like her accent. She was from fucking Texas for Christ's sake hardly the other side of the world."

"Luke why don't you just shut up ok? I didn't ask for your opinion and I sure as hell don't want it. Maybe the dating thing didn't work out so well last time but that's because she had me all screwed up. She had taken off and I had no idea why or if she was ok. It was hard to just switch off those feelings but its different now. I've got closure and I'm more than ready to start dating again. In fact I was thinking of heading down to the bar tonight and checking out the talent. What do you say, do you want to come? I'm sure we can get my mom to watch Cory. It would do you good to get out of the house, have a few drinks and just unwind. You've been through a lot lately man. So what do you say?" he asked again.

"You want me to go sit in some bar with you while you try to pick up chicks?" Lucas asked incredulously.

"I'm not saying I'm going to go out and grab the first woman I see," Nathan said "but I think it's about time I at least put myself back out there. Come on, come with me, we'll have a few beers and just get out of this damn house for a night. God we're turning into hermits, when was the last time we went out and just did guy stuff?"

"Nate in case you've forgotten I've just got out of the hospital, I'm not exactly up for a night on the town."

"That's ok," Nate said a certain eagerness coming into his voice as he thought more about it. "We don't have to do anything extreme. What are you telling me that you can't just go sit in a room and have a beer or two while we watch the game?"

Lucas sighed knowing that Nathan was not going to easily give up. "Yeah alright," he finally agreed more for the sake of keeping the peace than anything else, "we'll go out for a few beers but that's it. I'm not about to become your wingman as you single-handedly try to hook up with every half available woman there tonight." Seeing Nathan's incredulous look Lucas glared at him. "You forget man I know you far too well, you'll probably go out there trying to hook up with a different woman every night just for the sake of trying to prove a point, trying to prove that you aren't still in love with Haley."

Lucas saw the way Nathan's jaw tightened at his words and knew he had pushed him about as far as he could for the moment, it was time to back off a bit. Like he had just said he knew Nathan only too well and he was far from stupid enough to piss him off especially when he could almost guarantee that it would only have the effect of driving him into some other woman's arms. God Brooke would kill him if he did that.

"Look why don't you go call your mom and see if she's free to watch Cory tonight. I'd like to finish my breakfast in peace if that's ok with you?"

Nathan grunted in response before walking away in search of his phone.

"So was she happy to baby-sit while you go out in search of some ass?" Lucas asked hearing him re-enter a few minutes later. "I can just imagine what Deb's reaction was to that news. I just hope you told her that I'm only going for the beer. I've got no more interest in seeing you hook up with some slut then she has."

When he remained silent Lucas turned. "Let me guess she shot you down when you asked her?" he asked his voice trailing off into silence as he saw Haley standing there with Cory.

Her face was a mask of horror as she took in the meaning behind his words.

"Oh God Haley I didn't realise it was you. I'm sorry I didn't realise…"

She stared at him blankly and he could see her fighting hard against the tears forming in her eyes. She swallowed against the lump in her throat as she opened her mouth to speak but no words would form. Lucas heard Nathan's voice as he came back to the kitchen.

"Hey Lucas, it took some talking but she agreed. Be ready to go at eight."

Her face crumpled up momentarily at the sound of his voice before with effort she composed herself again. He saw Nathan move into the doorway behind her and saw the flash of something through his eyes as his eyes rested on her stiff back standing in front of him.

"Uh Haley, I uh" he stopped knowing there was nothing he could say at that moment. He looked at Lucas imploringly as if begging him to somehow break the tension that surrounded them but Lucas was as lost for words as the two of them. The silence stretched around them as Lucas found himself watching Haley half expecting her to break down into tears but she remained stoic, almost as if she were frozen in place.

His voice was echoing through her mind, but she couldn't seem to hear the words properly. Something about how the two of them could only be friends and she had gone along with it telling herself that whatever they had was over. So didn't that mean that she didn't have the right to be upset by this news? Surely she must have known somewhere deep down that the day would come where he would decide to start seeing other women. But was that day here already? How had this time come already? Were there warning signs that she had missed? Question after question chased its way through her mind; almost without knowing what she was doing she turned to face Nathan wanting to get out of that kitchen. His eyes locked onto her face but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't school her features into anything resembling neutrality. She knew that every ounce of pain and confusion she was feeling was written all over her face for him to see.

He wanted to ignore the hurt on her face but it was impossible. Something inside of him was telling him to reach out to her, to somehow erase the pain he had caused and almost unconsciously his hands came to rest on her shoulders pulling her towards him. The movement though snapped her out of her trance like state and she deliberately pulled away from him.

"Um I think I'll just take Cory for a walk," she mumbled. "I'm sure he could do with some fresh air. I'll leave you to it," she said her words thrown back over her shoulder vaguely in Lucas' direction.

Without another word she walked out her gaze lingering on Nathan for a moment as she did so.

The moment the door slammed Lucas turned towards Nathan in disgust, "You really are an ass you know?" before he wheeled himself away leaving Nathan alone with his thoughts.

Somehow she managed to avoid him for the rest of the day aided in no small way by the fact that he spent most of it hidden away in his room. It was only as she finally put Cory into bed that she realised just how late it was getting. She heard the doorbell downstairs and the sound of Nathan's footsteps going to answer it followed by the sound of Deb's voice.

Looking back at the sleeping baby once more she took a deep breath and walked down the stairs pasting a fake smile on her face to greet Deb with. She tried not to notice Nathan standing there making small talk with his mother dark jeans riding dangerously low on his hips, his black shirt unbuttoned exposing the smooth brown skin of his chest. Her mind flashed to how good that skin had tasted when she had last licked her way down his chest and she had to stifle the involuntary gasp that rose to her lips. She saw him look at her, his blue eyes seemingly boring into her soul and couldn't help but think about how those same eyes flashed with desire when he'd looked at her naked. She tried to look away focusing her gaze instead on his mouth and those lips of his that had kissed her senseless on so many occasions. _God what was wrong with her? She had to stop thinking like this._ The only problem was she didn't know how.

"So Haley," Deb said with a hint of hope in her voice "Are you joining the boys on their night out tonight?"

_Bingo_…There it was the exact thing she needed to drag her out of her ridiculous fantasies. A stark reminder of just why Nathan was dressed the way he was. He was going out with Lucas to find some other girl who by the end of the night would probably be licking her own way down his chest, seeing the flash of desire in his eyes or at the very least being kissed senseless by him.

She felt Nathan's eyes shift uncomfortably away from her but couldn't bring herself to look at him.

"Um no I thought I'd just spend a quiet night at home or um maybe go and see Brooke. I'm sure you're looking forward to getting to spend some time with Cory anyway."

Deb's eyes lit up at the mention of the baby. "Oh yes where is that darling little boy? I got here a little early hoping that I would catch him before he went to bed."

"Did I hear someone asking for me?" Lucas said with a laugh entering the room only slightly grazing against the doorframe as he manoeuvred his electronic wheelchair into the room.

Deb laughed along with him "Well I was actually referring to your son but sure you'll do," she said going to him and leaning over to give him a quick hug.

Haley chanced a glance at Nathan and found him watching her intently she quickly averted her gaze looking exaggeratedly at her watch.

"Well I really should get going if I'm going to get to the hospital before visiting hours end. Cory is all tucked up in bed so he should be fine for at least a few hours," she said even though Deb and Lucas gave no appearance of listening, "Have a good night out you two," she said with a forced brightness to Lucas and Nathan before picking up her bag and walking towards the door.

"I uh, I'll walk you out," Nathan said quietly.

"Don't worry about it," she said hurriedly.

"It's fine," he interjected starting to walk towards her.

"I said don't worry about it," she said with a touch more force before turning and walking out the door slamming it slightly behind her. Deb sighed as she and Lucas exchanged knowing looks having caught the whole exchange.

Nathan turned back to see them both looking at him, Deb sorrowfully while Lucas was practically glaring at him.

"Save it," he said, "Both of you just save it ok," before stalking off upstairs to finish getting ready. "Lucas we're leaving in twenty," he added as he left the room.

Haley walked into the hospital room fifteen minutes later to find Brooke sitting up in bed flicking disinterestedly through a magazine.

"Oh Tutor-girl thank God you're here. I was starting to get scared I might actually have to talk to the nurses to try and stave off the boredom. God you'd think if they were going to keep people in here for this amount of time they would actually provide us with something to do. I mean God I can't even get my legs waxed and I don't want to even think about what sort of state they're in right now. You'd think the least they could do is have some sort of beauty therapy room for us to go entertain ourselves in. I mean how do they honestly expect us to get better when we look like crap? Surely it wouldn't take much to do, just set up a manicure table, a few blow dryers, some mirrors…" she trailed off and for the first time since Haley had heard that Lucas and Nathan were going out for the night she found herself genuinely smiling.

"Brooke this isn't some holiday resort it's a hospital. I really don't think how your nails look has much to do with your recovery."

"Huh says you," the brunette said huffily. "So," she said breezily seemingly switching topics and moods with practiced ease. "How are my boys doing?"

Haley smiled as she started to relate little anecdotes about Cory to his proud mother. Brooke listened avidly until Haley finished speaking.

"And Lucas how is he? I was kind of hoping he might come in tonight since I didn't get to see him today."

"Um well he's um kind of busy tonight," Haley said evasively her mood taking an instant downturn as her thoughts once again turned to Nathan and his little slut finding mission.

"Too busy for me, huh that's impossible," Brooke said with a laugh. "So where is he? Is Nate bringing him over tonight?"

Haley couldn't hide the flash of pain in her eyes and Brooke latched onto it immediately.

"What was that about?" she demanded glaring slightly at Haley.

"What?" Haley asked pretending ignorance towards her friend's question.

"Don't you what me Tutor-girl. Tell me what the hell that look was about right now. Has that ass done something to upset you again?"

"Brooke please just don't worry about it. You have more important things to be concentrating on."

"Don't you dare try and tell me that this is none of my business Haley James. I swear I will get out of this bed and slap you if you try and tell me that nothing's wrong."

Haley couldn't help the small smile that came to her lips at Brooke's words but it didn't last long as Brooke continued her interrogation.

"So where are those idiots?" she demanded once again.

"Brooke calm down they just went out for a drink."

"They what?" the other woman screeched as she heard Haley's explanation.

Haley looked at her askance clearly having expected her explanation so go some way towards placating the volatile brunette.

"Are you telling me that my idiot husband actually went out to help that moron Nathan try to find some little Ho to bang? Actually forget that he's not even worthy of that name anymore. From now on he'll be known as Super Bastard. God I really didn't think he was capable of making me this pissed off. I don't even think I can find the words. Just as well I still have the use of my hands because I swear the next time I see that bastard I am going to bitch slap him so hard he'll be on his knees begging for mercy. I am this close to hiring a lawyer and making sure he can never be alone with either of our children ever again."

Brooke paused in her little rant as she once again saw a flash of hurt contort Haley's face.

"Oh Haley I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to upset you. You know that don't you? Sometimes my mouth just runs away with me. Lucas tells me and tells me that I have to be more…"

"Brooke its fine," Haley broke in. "Yes Nathan and Lucas have gone out for the night and yes Nathan may end up meeting some woman at the bar but it really doesn't bother me." She knew her voice was lacking in the conviction that she needed but she pressed on regardless. "And as for Lucas you really shouldn't be angry with him. I'm sure after everything he's been through he was in need of just a night of relaxing with a few beers besides I'm sure Nathan talked him into going."

"I don't care," Brooke said stubbornly, "he should know better. I swear if that man let's Super Bastard bring some woman home with him I will literally kick his ass. Actually I'll kick both their asses and then when I'm done kicking their asses I'll kick them again just to make sure they get the message. I'm not having those two idiots setting a bad example for my baby boy."

"Brooke you might need to hold off on any ass kicking until you can actually get out of that bed. Have the doctors been able to tell you any more?" she asked anxious to change the subject away from Nathan and the women he was probably occupying himself with even as they spoke.

"They still don't know anything," Brooke said exasperatedly. "God I mean how hard can it be? They know there hasn't been any major damage to my spine so why can't I walk?" she said throwing her hands up into the air for emphasis.

They chatted for a little while longer until the nurse came in telling Haley that it was time to leave. Reluctantly she leaned over giving Brooke a hug. "I'll see you soon ok."

"Haley whatever happens tonight just remember that I'll support you in everything you decide. He loves you Tutor-girl he just can't admit it."

Haley tightened her grip around Brooke's thin shoulders. "Thanks Tigger, you just concentrate on getting better ok. Don't worry about me and Nathan. We'll work it all out somehow."

"And if you don't I get to bitch slap him into the middle of next week ok?"

"Deal Tigger."

Haley left feeling so much better than she had just half an hour before when she arrived.

Lucas wheeled himself out of the bar ahead of Nathan shaking with silent laughter. "What did I tell you man?"

"Shut up Lucas, just shut the hell up. This doesn't prove anything ok."

"Are you kidding me man. You looked like you were going to pass out when that hot blonde grabbed your crotch and it sure as heck wasn't from pleasure. For a minute I thought you were going to cut and run and leave me there all on my own."

"Lucas shut the fuck up or I swear I will cut and run and leave your sorry ass here in the parking lot."

"Now, now Nathan I don't think mommy would be too happy if you arrive back at the house without me now would she?"

"You're pathetic Luke you're actually using my mother to win an argument."

"I may be pathetic but at least I'm not pussy whipped like you man."

Nathan shook his head in bewilderment. "You don't really believe that do you? I'll lay money the moment Brooke steps foot back in that house you'll be back to being at her beck and call."

Lucas smiled wistfully. "Trust me Nate if it meant having her home I'd be at her beck and call for the rest of my life."

Nate patted him understandingly on the shoulder before helping him into the car. Having finally got Lucas situated into the car and his chair placed in the back Nathan walked around to the driver's seat. "Let's just go home man it's been a long day."

Driving home he silently admitted to himself that perhaps this whole moving on thing was not going to be as easy as he had imagined.


End file.
